First published 2016
Justin might be the worst kid in his class, but he has plenty of company in these poems about childhood's daily frustrations. A boy stares at a vaccination needle and wonders why his sister Jenny can't take the shot instead, especially after everything he's done for her. Matt faces foods he refuses to eat while other children grapple with unwanted baby brothers they wish they could return. Each poem captures a moment when kids encounter the unfairness that seems built into growing up. Trillin draws from his own experiences to explore the humor hiding inside childhood's most common complaints. Roz Chast's whimsical cartoon illustrations bring each situation to life, showing the gap between what children want and what the adult world delivers. The collection celebrates how children see their problems as monumentally unfair while adults dismiss them as trivial. These poems find the comedy in that disconnect, giving voice to every child who has ever protested that life isn't fair.
Genres: humor, contemporary, poetry
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
40 pages · Kindle Edition · Orchard Books