Full of puns and silly jokes, Cleary here does for poetry what his Words Are Categorical series does for grammar. His light verse is lively and inventive-and often slightly outr?. He delights in poking fun, for instance, at a boy who "had a pair of heads,/ And neither was becoming." He invents a "Mixed Marriage" of a chicken and a centipede whose offspring "had enough drumsticks/ To feed any crowd, anywhere." Like his previous books, this one has an educational agenda as well: footnotes accompanying many poems provide literary definitions set in such heavy type that they seem at times more important than the poems themselves. The lines about the two-headed Eric, for instance, present an example of trochaic meter. A footnote helps explain the punch line in a tribute to e.e. cummings's poetry, "Do you get the double meaning of `lower case' in the last line?" (the line reads, "your books are always on my shelf/ (tucked in my lower case)." Layton's (Jennifer Jones Won't Leave Me Alone) pen-and-ink and color wash cartoons add humor and a dash of exuberance. He portrays the cat entranced with a computer mouse in "My Cat Bytes" with squared-off, pixel-like edges. The subject of "Five" grins goofily, delighted with his three extra legs ("His pants fit like a glove"). The mocking tone often makes each poem seem like a parody of the poetic form it represents. But overall, the verses are clever and comical, and youngsters who may be intimidated by poetry may well warm up to its playful presentation here. Ages 8-12. (Feb.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 3-6-Mixing a solid introduction to poetry with amusing examples, Cleary invites readers to "Come romp with me amongst the words./Come play amongst the phrases./Swing and climb from pun to rhyme/And hop through versey mazes." He tackles difficult concepts and defines terms and forms such as meter, iambic, personification, concrete poems, and parody. His short and simple explanations are included as footnotes at the bottom of the pages and are written in a tongue-in-cheek way that will engage young readers. The accompanying selections clearly illustrate the concepts, making for a concrete reinforcement of the message without the slightest hint of didacticism. The quality of the poems is a bit uneven and sometimes Cleary seems almost to be mocking what he is describing; however, this book is a great choice for getting children comfortable with poetry. Brightened up with splashes of color, Layton's quirky pen-and-ink pictures add to the fun. For a more in-depth take on poetic form and function, try Ralph J. Fletcher's Poetry Matters (HarperCollins, 2002).-Laura Reed, Kitchener Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 3-6. Scribbled, wobbly pictures on paper sprinkled with confetti dots are the perfect accompaniment to this lighthearted poetry collection. Cleary knows just what topics to put into verse: school (Report Card, Spanish Lessons ), food (Ode to Peanut Butter and Jelly ), sports (My Brother Joe ). In the mix are examples of limericks, haiku, concrete poetry, parody, alliteration, and even the villanelle, all of which Cleary explains in footnotes that also add other interesting bits about the poems. Cleary, to his credit, is not entirely tasteful, ensuring giggles and guffaws along with his information about verse form and function. --GraceAnne DeCandido Copyright 2004 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.