Roomrimes: Poems

In this extraordinary volume of poems, novelist Cassedy (Behind the Attic Wall, M. E. and Morton) invites the reader to explore rooms, both literal and imaginary, from attic to basement, from castle keep to zoo. Her range of skill and depth of perception in these poems are stunning; the words illuminate, tease, whisper and sing, while her images dazzle: the woman on the widow's walk sees ""the tip of a mast,/ slim as a spear of meadow grass,'' and the eyes of four naked mice in the loft are ``sealed tight/ as pumpkin seeds,'' each belly as ``crumpled as a parboiled peach.'' Cassedy experiments, stretching old forms and inventing new ones. In ``Elevator,'' for example, one-word lines read appropriately down the page in the first stanza and up the page in the second. Some poems are lyrical and thoughtful, while others are clever and funny, full of wordplay to delight mind and tongue. Chessare's witty and versatile black-and-white illustrations keep pace with the rich, remarkable text. Ages 8-12. (November)