From School Library Journal K-Gr 3—Organized by the four seasons, these 21 brief poems bring out the tastes of the year. Starting with spring strawberries and ending with a giant birthday cake, each selection teases out the most fantastical, delightful, and sensory elements of everyday food. The Strawberry Queen wears an "elegant suit—which is beaded and red" with a "green, leafy crown." Peaches have "flannelpajamaty skin" while raisins have the "enchanting taste/of well-worn pirate socks." The book includes a delicious variety of forms and all of the poems have elements of surprise and adventure. Even the baked potato-canoes will keep readers on the edge of their seats: "They oozed with steam and sour cream./They were loaded with bacon and chives./But silverware was everywhere—/and they barely escaped with their lives." The illustrations combine jerky lines and irregular proportions with soft, wet watercolor washes to create an absurd dreamy quality that brings even more fun to the book. Pair this yummy book of verse with this creative team's other fanciful poetry volumes: A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems (2009) and Today at the Bluebird Café: A Branchful of Birds (2007, both S. & S.). VERDICT A must-serve in most collections.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA Read more About the Author Deborah Ruddell is the author of the celebrated picture books Who Said Coo?, illustrated by Robin Luebs, and A Whiff of Pine, A Hint of Skunk and Today at the Bluebird Cafe, both illustrated by Joan Rankin. Before writing children’s books, she was an art teacher and a graphic designer.  Deborah lives in Peoria, Illinois. Visit her at DeborahRuddell.com. Read more
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