Side by Side

Sprinkled throughout this cheery volume of familiar poems are pictures of people readinga lady in a straw hat reading to a toddler on an old-fashioned porch, a kangaroo reading to babies in her pouch. True to the title, the poems collected are perfect for reading side by side. There are story poems; counting rhymes; verses about seasons, holidays and animals. Every page is filled with Knight's rollicking watercolors of exuberant, bright-eyed children. What will ensure this book's popularity, however, is the inclusion of poems many parents and grandparents will remember, including ``A Visit from St. Nicholas,'' ``The Three Little Kittens'' and ``The House that Jack Built.'' Fun for all members of the family, this is both a nostalgia-filled and a living collection. Ages 6-up. (September)