Gone Pogo

Walt Kelly, 1961, Gone Pogo, Simon and Schuster, reprinted in 1977 in hardback by Gregg Press. 

The book begins, after a couple of poems, with an illustrated version of that famous Christmas carol, Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly. Somehow it doesn't come out quite right. Next follows a dissertation on the venerable art of joke telling, with a quick segue into politics and psychology. Fisticuffs, or the lack thereof, lead naturally to spying, suspicion, and the discharge of firearms.

The book ends with two familiar tales. The first is a retelling of The Night Before Christmas involving the usual sort of mayhem  one expects when people slide  down other people's chimneys. And the last story is a retelling of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, in which many things are not what they seem.

As with many Pogo books, this one is an essentially two parts. The first takes place in the swamp, with the usual characters indulging in their usual activities. In the second part of the book, two old and familiar stories are retold in somewhat surprising ways. Nonsense poetry is sprinkled throughout. I think my favorite part of the book is The Night Before Christmas.