A Poem for a Pickle: Funnybone Verses

From Publishers Weekly This collection of Merriam's ( Blackberry Ink ; You Be Good and I'll Be Night ) bouncy, spirited poems will appeal to modern kids who spend their days at ice cream counters trying to decide between "cinnamon spasm, / pistachio burp, / cantaloupe clam," or "slime of lime slurp." Hamanaka's illustrations, like crayon drawings, are joyful and whimsical, a good match for Merriam's consistently clever silliness. Nearsighted Angus McBean, for example, thinks he is watching television as he stares at the window of the washing machine, and Molly drops her glasses in molasses. "A City Ditty" describes the fun of a blackoutwhen one can "see the moon and stars," and "Can a Can?" revels in homonyms. "Five pennies for a nickel, / a poem for a pickle?"--this collection is worth every briny penny. Ages 5-up. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 4-- Readers will welcome this new collection of 28 mostly short, humorous poems. As evidenced in many previous volumes, Merriam shows her fondness for and expertise at word play. "Skunk doesn't smell/ exactly like a rose./ One the nose yeses,/ one the nose noes." Homonyms are the subject of "Can a Can?" "You can punch a punching bag/ you can drink a glass of punch./You can skip with a rope,/ you can skip having lunch." Hyphenated words star in "Willy-Nilly," a brief description of the double-date of roly-poly Hobart, namby-pamby Nan, hoity-toity Hortense, and fuddy-duddy Dan. Hamanaka's soft yet vibrant watercolor and crayon illustrations are full of realistic, interesting detail and humorous touches. Animals and multi-ethnic children are featured throughout, enhancing the mood and/or action of each poem. It's difficult to determine who will have the most fun with this book--the children hearing the poems read aloud or the child or adult reading them. --Barbara S. McGinn, Oak Hill Elementary School, Severna Park, MDCopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.