City Kids: Street and Skyscraper Rhymes

The urban world is examined from every angle in this lively collection of verse about city life. Most can apply to cities generally, though there are specific poems about Toronto, San Francisco, London, and others. Some rhymes are full of praise ("Who needs cow moos/ and bleating sheep?/ Give me a taxi/ with a wicked BEEP!"), while others don't shy away from more mature subject matter such as pollution, 9/11, and crime ("When Poppa comes to Momma's place/ To visit me, he hires/ A boy to keep watch on his car/ So no one takes the tires"). Béha's illustrations have a naïf, crayon-scrawled exuberance, and most match the upbeat tone of Kennedy's verse. Ages 8–11. (Sept.)