Do Not Feed the Table

It isn't often that one finds a book classified by the Library of Congress under both juvenile poetry and kitchen utensils. What is even more surprising is how high this souffle of a book rises. Lillegard's ( September to September: Poems for All Year Round ) poems are terse, functional, even prosaic at times, yet they offer young readers new views of ordinary things. The toaster, for example, ``swallows bread-- / what he likes most. / The hiccups and-- / up pops the toast!'' The waffle maker ``with chunky teeth . . . bites the batter'' and the sponge ``slurps up every / splash and spill-- / until she finally / gets her fill.'' Narahashi (see review of The Magic Purse , above), in her childlike and pleasing watercolors, focuses on a boy and a spotted dog who investigate the humming refrigerator, eat cookies, mash potatoes, etc. Each poem is ornamented by several pools of color that contain objects found in the kitchen--perhaps a pot holder, a jar of jam or the main characters themselves. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)