TASTY POEMS
edited by Jill Bennett & illustrated by Nick Sharratt
Twelve brief, fairly contemporary entries about food and eating, from the US (Prelutsky, Leland Jacobs), Britain, and the Caribbean (John Agard). The comical tone of the verse is nicely extended in bright double-spread illustrations for each poem, with lively, caricatured figures and amusingly exaggerated details. For those who may not know what Grace Nichols's ``Sugarcake'' is, Sharratt provides almost enough clues to mix up a batch for Carnival; he also introduces new meaning to some of the poems by the imaginative addition of various creatures, such as a giant snake to enjoy ``Meg's Egg'' (Hoberman) and a grinning alligator as narrator of Adoff's ``My Mouth.'' With its high- interest text and illustrations, a good choice for beginning readers. (Poetry/Picture book. 6-9)