Number 233 : Kenn Nesbitt "I Bought A Pet Banana"

I Bought a Pet Banana

I bought a pet banana
and I tried to teach him tricks,
but he wasn't any good at
catching balls or fetching sticks.

He could never catch a Frisbee,
and he wouldn't sit or speak,
though we practiced every afternoon
and evening for a week.

He refused to shake or wave or crawl
or beg or take a bow,
and I tried, but couldn't make him bark
or get him to meow.

He was terrible at playing dead.
He couldn't jump a rope.
When he wouldn't do a single trick
I simply gave up hope.

Though I liked my pet banana,
I returned him with regret.
Boy, I sure do hope this watermelon
makes a better pet.

--Kenn Nesbitt

Hap Notes: It's another silly Saturday poem! Although I have to admit that if I was reading it as a kid I would take umbrage with the idea that a pet banana could not play dead (I was one of those kinds of kids- you know, irritatingly curious.)

Ken Nesbitt (born 1962) has written several books of poetry for kids, although, as we always say, children's poetry is not just for children. He has a delightfully witty sense of play and it comes though in his books and website. Some of his books include the hilarious Santa Got Stuck in the Chimney (2006), When the Teacher Isn’t Looking: And Other Funny School Poems (2005), and The Aliens Have Landed at Our School! (2001).

You can find more Nesbitt poems and a whole lot more kid fun here: www.poetry4kids.com/

And our Saturday Cartoons:

First off Parry Gripp's song on being a banana: /www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPCHS7hxn4Y&feature=related

Remember the incredibly odd and charming Bananas In Pajamas?: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQvFnSIIuHE&feature=related

Sidney the Elephant has a "banana habit": www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxGy_72tDBU

Here's the infamous "Banana Man": www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzR5-_Tg48Y&feature=related

Finally here are the incomparable Dickies doing the Banana Splits theme song. You should really hear their covers of "Knights in White Satin", "The Sounds of Silence" and "Silent Night" too. You'll never be the same: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs1NoBwsurI

Here are the Dickies doing one of their own hit songs, "Rosemary". I've always adored their sense of punk and playfulness (and I avoided some of my favorites like "Stuck In A Condo With Marlon Brando," "Killer Clowns From Outer Space" and the alarmingly funny song about Sammy Davis Junior "Where Did His Eye Go"): www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZhqtINrtWg&feature=related

Finally here's the Banana Rap: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDlQm5jFL50