Reviews: (by author)

Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. The 2000 Year Old Man Goes to School. Illus. James Bennett. New York: Harpercollins, 2005. $17.99

Could Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, and Richard Lewis possibly be wrong about what's funny? Their praise decorates the back cover of this tribute book to an unforgettable comedy creation: the 2000 Thousand Year Old Man. That's Mel Brooks. The straight man questioning him is Carl Reiner. The 2000 Year Old Man isn't really 2000 years old. He's about 45-50. He began as a parlor game gag at parties Brooks and Reiner went to in the 1960's, spontaneous performance so funny that their friends persuaded them to use the material professionally. Bringing the jokes to today's young generation is somebody's good idea, and thanks! I can imagine untold numbers of kids memorizing the routines and spouting them at family gatherings or local talent contests. And the best part of the book is the CD that comes with it, so budding comedians can hear the 2000 Year Old Man discuss Shakespeare, Einstein, Robin Hood, and Murray (the inventor of fire). James Bennett's delightful and dynamic paintings add a lot to the humor with jokes such as the dinosaur in the playground when the 2000 Year Old Man goes to school.

Alida Allison, January 2006

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