TO call the work of Amy Sedaris "quirky" is too easy - it's also a vast understatement. Known in some circles for her cheese balls and cupcakes just as much as for her offbeat film, television and stage appearances, Sedaris often defies definition. So does her book SIMPLE TIMES (Grand Central, $27.99), a hyperkinetic hodgepodge of "Crafts for Poor People" (written with Paul Dinello) celebrating traditional American handicrafts, as well as diversions like keeping pet rabbits and making mint juleps. Although the book's tag line may seem to mock the financially challenged classes, it's more likely Sedaris just wanted to announce that this is not a guide for stately Martha Stewart types with large materials budgets. Her list of "Craft Room Necessities" calls for affordable iterns like Popsicle sticks, ribbon, construction paper and "googly eyes" for novelties like the "rusty nail wind chime" and a mosaic of the soul singer James Brown made from corn, rice and beans. "Crafting is putting ideas into action and then holding them together with an inexpensive adhesive," Sedaris writes. "Simple Times" brims with colorful pages illustrating curios in various states of completion. It's also chock-full of photos of the author in assorted costumes and layers of makeup designed to complement the theme of each section. In the "Crafting for Jesus" chapter, she wears a thatch of biblically inspired facial hair to introduce projects like a clothespin crucifix. The squeamish may want to flip quickly past the "Safety Meeting" chapter, which features lots of fake blood and simulated lacerations. Always the entertainer, Sedaris also sprinkles the book with recipes, including a section on sausages and something called "Poor Man's Toffee." That one sounds like a joke until you realize she's describing a standard technique for making dulce de leche: boil a can of condensed milk on the stove for two and a half hours. (Don't let the water level drop!) With its outrageous images and cheeky text, "Simple Times" at first seems to be a gross-out parody of a glossy crafter's manual. After all, this is a book that offers a sassy chapter of sex tips ("fornicrafting") and thoughts on suitable activities for the permanently bedridden: "The crafts should be simple. They should be crafts that can be completed in many small sessions and for which untimely interruptions, say an unscheduled nap or a narcotic haze, won't impede the final product." Some instructions are vague, but the book's sheer visual exuberance and wide scope make it obvious that Sedaris is a dedicated follower of the pipe-cleaner arts. While "Simple Times" may not be for the dour D.I.Y.-er to whom crafting is a competitive sport, it has strong potential as a gift for anyone who's ever collected hats made from flattened beer cans crocheted together, or Barbie dolls in knitted antebellum dresses designed to cover an extra roll of toilet paper - or simply for fans of Amy Sedaris and her idiosyncratic sense of humor.

Comedian, actress, and author of I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, Sedaris here addresses topics like "Crafting for Jesus," gifts for shut-ins, pre- and postcrafting stretches, and even the "Craft of Lovemaking." Through the "Healing Power of Crafting," readers learn that a Rusty Nail Wind Chime is the perfect gift for those suffering from bipolar disorder. Some projects include instructions; some don't. Making a Tea Cozy Kitten, for example, is "self-explanatory." Included with the handicrafts are recipes for treats like sausages, Damn Its (macaroons), and other baked goods. This book is a visual delight-kitschy projects are displayed with wonderfully garish sets, costuming, and illustrations. Sedaris isn't afraid to go from lovely to whimsical to wildly unflattering in her wardrobe, hair, and makeup. VERDICT Sedaris is actually quite crafty and known for her baking. In her latest irreverent take on home economics, she provides a fun, complementary balance to recent "serious" books in this genre. Recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/10; eight-city tour.]-Meagan Storey, Virginia Beach (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In her follow-up to the best-selling I Like You (2006), Sedaris once again invites us all to remember the good old days with her off-the-wall crafting and entertaining suggestions. Did you know that inside your featureless well-worn husk is a creative you? she asks. No doubt drawing on and making light of the current economic atmosphere, she notes, Being poor is a wonderful motivation to be creative ; and most crafts are made with found or salvaged materials. More a vehicle for Sedaris' knack for farce and costume than a real how-to guide (unless the formula for a wizard duck costume marks the realization of your wildest dreams), it nevertheless contains a few useful facts, ideas, and recipes. The true joy of this book lies in its hilarious and amazingly well-styled photo spreads, many featuring Sedaris in one of her uncanny disguises, including a teenager, an elderly shut-in, and Jesus. She devotes equal time to instruction on making homemade sausage, gift-giving, crafting safety, and lovemaking (aka fornicrafting ). Those looking to make conventional crafts, obviously, should look elsewhere. Everyone else should sit down, have a laugh, and make your very own bean-and-leaf James Brown mosaic. The author and her brother have a considerable following among hip readers of humor, and the appeal of this book will certainly transcend the world of crafters.--Bostrom, Annie Copyright 2010 Booklist