Book Twenty Four of my 2012 Goal

chance would be a fine thing by Anthony McCann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anthony McCann's "chance would be a fine thing" is a small collection of poetry and song lyrics that I found entertaining, inspiring, and downright humorous. (Anthony McCann is an Irish singer and songwriter.) This collection is unlike any I have read previously. I love his wittiness and humor as well as the spiritual and paranormal twist.

Seeing any symbolisms and interpretation is a lot like taste, it depended on the individual but I really loved the first poem, "Some clocks tock upon the wall". The poem is about a clock that tocks and not ticks. The child thinks it is "strange" and the clock is doing it on purpose as it maybe "dysfunctional" but his/her mother says it is not for him/her to judge. My favorite part, "Does it think that Time moves forward? Does it think that Time moves back? Is it static or elliptical? Is it fiction or is it fact?" The child goes from thinking the clock is wrong to examining what time is and what the clock is. In different circumstances maybe the clock would be different. I know I will be sharing this poem with my grandchildren and among other things we will discuss the 'judging'.

It seems that the author is giving a lesson or sharing good advice in the songs and poems. Others typical of this are "Emailing Rachel" and "Cleaning Windows". I really don't want to be a spoiler so I won't say much about these other than it is very good advise and let's learn from someone else's mistake so we don't make the same ones ourselves.

The only thing I can say negative about this book is that it is much too short. It just begs you to read more but alas it is over! I think its a great book to give the child in your life or for teachers to read in class and discuss. Maybe what I see as being negative is really something positive (remembering the look on my son's face the day he read his "whole book") plus I'm sure in class children can finish and discuss it within the school year. So, I guess it is really how you look at it. (Remember, some clocks tock. Lesson learned!)

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