for reading aloud. Simple poetry is a natural way to introduce kids to reading. In this title in the fine I Can Read series, Hopkins' excellent choices are easily accessible in large type with a spacious design and brightly colored illustrations. From the catchy nonsense of X. J. Kennedy's Snowflake Souffl{‚}e (Bake it in an igloo / Throw it on a plate) to the simple, surprising imagery of Valerie Worth's Sun to Hopkins' own onomatopoeic Thunder, the short lines, satisfying rhyme, and physicalness of the words can lure beginning readers--and also younger listeners--to the joy of sounds that make sense. (Reviewed Feb. 1, 1994)

A felicitous collection of poems about the common guises of weather has been successfully incorporated into an easy-reader format. Poems about the sun lead off, with following sections devoted to wind and clouds, rain and fog, snow and ice, and 'Weather Together.' The versatile compendium is illustrated with pastel sketches. Ind.

Gr 1-3-A collection of easy-to-read poems that succeeds in rising above limitations on the poetic techniques and vocabulary accessible to its audience. The not-always-rhymed verses are grouped in general categories-sun, wind, and clouds; rain and fog; and snow and ice, with a miscellaneous category at the end, ``Weather Together.'' The poets represented run the gamut from the famous-Carl Sandburg, David McCord, and Ogden Nash-to the unknown. Crayon drawings-double-and full-page scenes as well as vignettes-pull the book together. The dominant colors are pink and orange-more sunny than rainy; in fact, bad weather seems mitigated. There is not much range of feeling in the illustrations, which is consistent with the tone of the poems. The overall impression is of brightness, lightheartedness, and fun-not a bad introduction to poetry, though some might wish for a bit more variation and acknowledgement of nature's majestic and powerful side.-Ruth K. MacDonald, Quinnipiac College, Hamden, CT