Agee is a palindrome pro, and his sixth book on word play is a creative, comedic gem. Each two-page spread reveals a hilarious story in comic-book panels, using only palindromes as text. The expressive, black-and-white illustrations enhance the humor, sometimes creating meaning where the palindromes alone do not. Sprinkled among the standard approaches are upside-down words, distorted alphabet letters, and some panoramic scenes that will invoke laughter from both kids and adults. Even when he stretches the technique, with sometimes indecipherable monologues, Agee maintains a sparkle of mischievous fun that will impress readers. Although it would seem he's covered most standard (Madam, I'm Adam) and the unexpected (gnu dung) palindromes, a few inclusions in the acknowledgments page indicate there are plenty more for kids to finish up on their own--and even for another installment from Agee: Want it? Naw? Uh, hu. You do.

In this collection of palindromes--words and phrases that read the same forward and backward--an owl in the desert is "too hot to hoot," while a heckler demonstrates how to sass-backward, taunting "Yo, bozo boy!" and "Yo, banana boy!" The clever wordplay and zany black-and-white drawings will have readers so amused they won't know whether they're coming or going.

"Yo! Bozo boy!" It's another hilarious collection of palindromic cartoons from the master of them all. Agee ( Potch & Polly , p. 811, etc.) serves up such zany fare as "Kafka's Restaurant"—"Wonton?" asks a customer; "Not now," replies a black turtlenecked-waiter—and "The Artist"—who tries a number of configurations for a piece of pipe: "Tie it. / Tip it. / Put it up," only to discover commercial futility: "Want it?" "Naw." If some palindromes seem familiar from earlier efforts, others are truly inspired in their complete and joyful irrelevance: "A dog, a pan, a pagoda"—who else would have thought to put them together? Most cartoons take the form of four-panel strips that march across the landscape-oriented double-page spreads; where single-page cartoons exist, they are typically paired with others of similar ilk ("A car, a man, a maraca" appears opposite the pan in which sits the dog and the pagoda). Page turn after wacky page turn results in the inevitable speculation as to the type of fevered brain that might produce these fancies; an author's note modestly claims only half of the 170 palindromes contained herein, and gracious credit is given to the creators and inspiration for the others. But there is a darker side to the fun: a cartoon hints at the possible strain suffered by those cursed with aibohphobia (an unusual fear of palindromes)—a wide-eyed man lies in bed, trapped in the infinite repetitions of "Six is a six is a six. . . ." Good at least for several minutes of chuckles, these spirited cartoons may inspire readers young and old to find linguistic and artistic opportunity in gnu dung. (Picture book/nonfiction. 10+)

Gr 4 Up-In his fourth collection of palindromes, Agee continues his love affair with the English language. The first page is a dedication to "MOM" in mammoth, "stone" block letters. Like the previous books, the pages are filled with whimsical black-and-white drawings of absurd or nonsensical situations. Some of the approximately 170 palindromes are monologues, some are comic-strip stories, and others are simply descriptive situations. From "How Palindromes Are Formed in the Atmosphere" to "AIBOHPHOBIA: Unusual Fear of Palindromes," readers are treated to rib-tickling, humorous stories, often with a subtle message to decipher. In "In the Garden," Adam asks a woman, "Eve?" She responds, "Sir, I'm Iris." After exhibiting a look of surprise, he responds, "Madam, I'm Adam," exuding an expression of supreme confidence. The pen-and-ink drawings give visual clues to the words. Even famous personalities, living and dead, or well-known logos cannot escape Agee's sometimes satirical pen. This book will invite students to join his comical, visual, and verbal train ride through the land of palindromes.-Linda Wadleigh, Oconee County Middle School, Watkinsville, GA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.