NIBBLE NIBBLE
by Margaret Wise Brown & illustrated by Wendell Minor
Five poems, originally published in 1959, are newly illustrated with lovely, detailed illustrations of bunnies, mice and other animals in natural surroundings. Reminiscent of Leonard Weisgard’s classic illustrations for Brown’s The Golden Egg Book, the large, engaging pictures are excellent for group sharing, and Brown’s rhymes and rhythms will invite participation. The first three poems contain onomatopoeic sounds such as zoom, nibble, flippity and lippity and simple nursery-like rhymes that nevertheless hint at underlying emotions. The final poem, “Cadence,” is almost Blakean in its simply worded expression of a complex, almost mystical idea: “This is the music I have heard / In the cadence of the word / Not spoken yet / And not yet heard.” Minor’s furry, natural-looking animals and flowery meadows have an almost tactile reality, and his illustrations add movement, drama and context to the poems, making this book a treasure for a new generation. (Picture book/poetry. 2-6)