The Ice Cream Store: Poems

Lee ( Alligator Pie ; Fraggle Rock ) and McPhail (the Emma books; the Pig Pig books) have devised an inventive, energetic and delightfully wacky book of poems that compares with Prelutsky and Silverstein for off-the-wall humor and child-pleasing nonsense. McPhail's whimsical ``kids around the block'' (from the book's title poem) are all the colors of ice cream, and they are joined by a plethora of animals--a dog named Doogie who likes to boogie; Hammy, the escape hamster; an endearing flying pig named Lucy; even a dadosaurous who dries the dishes. No subject is off limits--from ``A Home Like a Hiccup'' to ``The Fib'' or ``Mrs. Mitchell's Underwear.'' Lee's rhythmical poems beg to be sung, while McPhail's characters are a constant surprise. Both text and art feature children in costumes from all over the real world as well as from the imaginary one. Like the kids in the last poem, ``Night Song,'' this rollicking book belongs ``Around the block, / Around the world.'' All ages. (Sept.)