Book Fair Blog

There has been absolutely no popular demand to have another one of my ancient Book Fair Singalong Songs, but I know when you’re simply being coy. In the original notes to this song, I apologized to the publishers of a book called “101 Casseroles” as well as to Nena, who had a hit with a song called “99 Red Balloons” eons before I was born. (Don’t make faces like that or they’ll stick.) That kind of gives away the joke, but here’s the rest of it. All together now:

You and I at the Newberry Book Fair

Looking at cookbooks old and rare

Should we buy one or a bunch?

Something new today for lunch!

In the kitchen, here’s a good one;

We’ll see something when this meal’s done

Set it up and take a look

101 casseroles to cook.

101 casseroles

Tortellini Parmesan

Do we have spaghetti sauce?

Here’s one that calls for sauerkraut

Dill weed, sugar, caraway

Weren’t you at the store today?

This looks good; here, take a look

101 casseroles to cook.

101 ingredients

101 condiments

Cannelloni, rigatoni

Just throw in some macaroni!

14 ounces grated cheese?

Use Velveeta, if you please:.

I’m no slave to any book:

101 casseroles to cook.

This says salmon; open tuna:

You should have drained off all that water;

Never mind; throw in more pasta,

Sprinkle corn flakes on the top:

Put it in, don’t tip the pan

We will prove we really can

Make what’s listed in this book:

101 casseroles to cook.

101 meals I have had

Eating someone’s casserole:

Every one filled up my tummy

But I never called one yummy;

Funny: they all taste the same:

This cookbook was kind of lame.

At buying books we were alert:

“A Hundred Ways to Make Dessert.”