This little book is completely Bonkers and totally Brilliant at the same time.

The author is talking directly to the reader telling the story of receiving a message – You had poison for breakfast.

He thinks about what he’s just eaten and sets off to the source of each item. As he investigates he is still talking to you, going off on tangents as we often do when chatting to a friend.

There are lots of stories within this story which naturally fit into it and snippets of philosophy (the art of thinking) and lots of bewilderment –  Lemony’s word for the bafflement about life and all that goes with it, including this book.

Lemony is a writer and talks and behaves as such, contemplating lots of literary stuff along the way. The stories and music and ideas he shares are real, with a glossary of titles, authors, composers etc in the back of the book.

From the author of A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket’s style is like no other. I laughed out loud, contemplated some of the questions he was asking and nodded at lots of observations at life he was sharing.

Reading Poison for Breakfast felt like watching a talented comedian on stage take his audience on a journey, adding connections and reminders throughout his act to end up in a finale that has everyone cheering.

My favourite passage of the book which makes me laugh every time I read it:

I have always admired any store that sells only one thing, because it promises delight, the way a person who spends eight years learning how to make a cake will probably make you a good cake, but a person who spends eight years as an aviator and a tailor and a math tutor and a trainer of bears in the circus will probably kill you in a plane he is flying very badly while wearing a shirt that doesn’t fit and fighting off an ill-behaved bear, all the while insisting that seven times six is harmonica.

If possible, read Poison for Breakfast in one sitting to really appreciate how Bonkers and Brilliant this little hardback is.

Author – Lemony Snicket

Illustrator – Margaux Kent

Age – 10 – 100 (something for everyone)

(2021, Bloomsbury, Humour, Funny, Books, Literature, Thinking, Philosophy, Mystery, Breakfast, Cooking eggs, Investigate, Investigation, Music, Contemplation, Bonkers, Clever, Writing)