Merry-Go-Round

To say that Heller has a way with words is to understate a multifaceted talent. In her previous books on language, her spirited verse and vibrantly hued pictures have provided lively lessons on the meaning of collective nouns, verbs and adjectives. Here, she examines nouns of all kinds: common and proper, abstract and concrete, compound, collective, singular and plural. The rhymed text of this book is as witty and smooth as its predecessors. Heller's vivid illustrations include a scaly, purple-tongued dragon; armored knights on horseback; a quartet of carousel animals; and a spectrum of fish, fruits and flowers. Intricate background patterns and designs further enrich many of the pages. Rarely does a book offer children so much to look at, listen to and learn. Ages 6-up. (Nov.)