Malcom was a collector, Steve is political but Bob Forbes is the poet of the family. When Robert L. Forbes, one of Malcom Forbes’ five children, is not busy as president of Forbes Life he has another life as a poet. He is the author of of three books of rhyme featuring food- and love-themed poems which are humorously illustrated by Ronald Searle. Searle died in December 2011 but left a trove of illustrations. Each picture has a mouse which young readers delight in locating. The latest Beast Friends Forever! Animal Lovers in Rhyme has been well received by both teachers and librarians. Kirkus Reviews said that it was a “curiously wayward collection of animal love poetry” and Publishers Weekly said it was a “gently mischievous poems should please those who love wordplay, the animal kingdom, and improbable romances”.
Since embarking on this new venture, Bob dons colorful outfits for visit to schools, libraries and book festival reading his poems to children. For World Read Aloud Day he dressed as a farmer and during National Poetry Month he visited the New York Historical Society wearing red pants and posed beside Abe Lincoln.
Here is a Forbes poem to end Poetry Month:
I know a Blue-footed Booby,
A goofy young punster named Doobie
Who Dyed his Feet to be groovy
And at night plays blues on his toobie
Which is brassy and loud
For the teenybooby crowd,
So when he toodles by,
The girls all cry,
“Let me be your baby Booby, groovy Doobie!”
