THE INNER CITY MOTHER GOOSE
by Eve Merriam & illustrated by David Diaz
The Inner City Mother Goose ($16.00; May 1, 1996; 70 pp.; 0-689- 80677-9): First published in 1969, Merriam's collection of urban rhymes has not only held its power, but some of the pieces are even more resonant. The addition of Diaz's illustrations and an introduction by Nikki Giovanni make the work utterly current, with vivid images such as those captured here: ``Fee, fi, fo, fum,/I smell the blood of violence to come;/I smell the smoke that hangs in the air;/Of buildings burning everywhere'' and ``There is a lady/who lives on the street/With bags for her body/And bags for her feet.'' (Poetry. 8+)