Are You Quite Polite?: Silly Dilly Manners Songs »

Alan Katz is the author of many seriously silly books for children, including the bestselling Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs, illustrated by David Catrow. He lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with his journalist wife, Rose, and their four children. Alan can also be found at www.alankatzbooks.com.

David Catrow is the illustrator of numerous notable books for children, including the other Silly Dilly books, as well as Kathryn Lasky's She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head!, which was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. Mr. Catrow is also a nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist whose work appears in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Sun-Times, as well as in nine hundred other newspapers. He lives in Springfield, Ohio.

You all know...

"Do Your Ears Hang Low?"

and

"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,"

but what about

"Are You Quite Polite?"

and

Quiet in the Library" ?!

Songwriter and comedy writer extraordinaire Alan Katz has done it again! Turning his attention to the subject of good and bad manners, he has created a hilarious new guide to manners that kids will love to follow — laughing all the way! With brilliantly funny pictures by illustrator and cartoonist David Catrow, this new collection promises hours of well-mannered silly dillyness for kids everywhere!

Children's Literature

A collection of silly poems with equally silly drawings, Katz aims to teach good manners. In the opening spread kids are told that it is not polite to put their mouths on the waterspout of a drinking fountain. All of the poems are written to be sung to songs—among them are "Polly Wolly Doodle" and "Pop Goes the Weasel." In addition to the drinking fountain admonition, the book addresses other issues such as boogers, sibling rivalry, how to behave at a party, writing thank-you notes, not talking with food in your mouth, and the like. Catrow has a field day with his illustrations showing kids in their states of messy, bad behavior. A kid pleaser and a book that should instill messages about good behavior without feeling the least bit like a real lesson in proper etiquette from Emily Post.