Review of Forgive Me, I Meant To Do It: False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine

Publisher: Harper
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon    The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Amazon):

This Is Just to Say


If you’re looking for a nice happy book


put this one down and run away quickly


Forgive me sweetness and good cheer are boring


Inspired by William Carlos Williams’s famous poem ”This Is Just to Say,” Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine delivers a wickedly funny collection of her own false apology poems, imagining how tricksters really feel about the mischief they make. Matthew Cordell’s clever and playful line art lightheartedly captures the spirit of the poetry. This is the perfect book for anyone who’s ever apologized . . . and not really meant it.

Teaser:

You may be jumping around

and skipping

pages

in this book

which

I actually

spent 10 years 

arranging

Forgive me

I put the curse of the mummy

on anyone

who reads out of order

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

This book was inspired by a William Carlos Williams poem, which I had not read prior to reading this book. I was intrigued by the idea of humorous false apologies and the idea made me laugh. Who hasn't, at some point in their life, had to offer an apology that they didn't really mean? How many of us have re-written the apology in their head to something funnier, snarkier, or ruder? 

Well, Levine had the opportunity to write those apologies, using the same format that Williams did. The results are mixed; some are spot on, some funny yet strange, and a few miss the mark. Many of the poems are inspired by childrens stories and fairy tales. For instance, there's one about Humpty Dumpty's fall wherein the culprit responsible for knocking him off of the wall apologizes, saying he had to knock Humpty down because the king's men were bored. There's a werewolf apology that reminded me of Kelley Armstrong's story, "Hidden", and how Elena and Clay deal with telling their children about werewolves. 

A few of the poems wouldn't make much sense separated from their illustrations and a poem shouldn't have to rely on artwork for its meaning. Even so, the illustrations are simple but evocative and add to the poems and the readers enjoyment. The book is geared towards the younger school age children and I think that children from about age four and a half up to about eight or nine would enjoy them. Readers who appreciate puns and plays on words will likely enjoy this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher for review.