(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anne Wilson. If puppies are abandoned or if turtles escape from a truck, a kindly man named Sidney keeps them in his shop until they're adopted. The poems making up the text describe the animals, which include a ferret and a tarantula, and present their opinions: "Yes I'm rahther glorious / Yawn yawn rahther brilliant," muses a llama. The cheerful, textured illustrations complement the lively verses.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Joe Cepeda. After an introductory exhortation to readers that "You can be the poet and you can be the poem too," a multiracial group of city kids take turns versifying about everything from bullies and thunderstorms to family members and food. The high-energy verse, accompanied by pictures splashed with a palette of hot colors, could easily inspire kids--and whole classrooms--to create their own poetry slams.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute