Fresh Delicious: Poems from the Farmers’ Market

Regardless of the season, readers can get a taste of the fruits and vegetables available at the height of summer in 21 appetizing poems. Latham (Dear Wandering Wildebeest) includes metaphors for various foods (okra is “a mountain/ of mouse-sized/ swords/ stored in fuzzy/ sheaths”), as well as reflections on the sensory experience of eating them; in “Peach,” she writes, “When your/ baby-fuzz/ cheek/ meets my/ hopeful nose,/ the world/ explodes/ with sweetness.” Moriuchi’s (The Very Best Teacher!) vibrant acrylic collages feature toylike animals enjoying lettuce, corn, onions, and more, and she runs with the visual images that appear in Latham’s poems, such as the idea of an egg carton as a treasure chest or cucumbers as “a fleet/ of green/ submarines/ in a wicker/ sea.” Half a dozen recipes cap off a lighthearted celebration of food at peak freshness. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. Illustrator’s agency: Arena Illustration. (Mar.)