A Poem for a Pickle: Funnybone Verses

This collection of Merriam's ( Blackberry Ink ; You Be Good and I'll Be Night ) bouncy, spirited poems will appeal to modern kids who spend their days at ice cream counters trying to decide between ``cinnamon spasm, / pistachio burp, / cantaloupe clam,'' or ``slime of lime slurp.'' Hamanaka's illustrations, like crayon drawings, are joyful and whimsical, a good match for Merriam's consistently clever silliness. Nearsighted Angus McBean, for example, thinks he is watching television as he stares at the window of the washing machine, and Molly drops her glasses in molasses. ``A City Ditty'' describes the fun of a blackoutwhen one can ``see the moon and stars,'' and ``Can a Can?'' revels in homonyms. ``Five pennies for a nickel, / a poem for a pickle?''--this collection is worth every briny penny. Ages 5-up. (Aug.)