El Reino del Reves = Upside Down Kingdom

K-Gr 2-Originally published in 1965, this collection of almost 50 poems and song lyrics is accompanied by brightly colored and cheerful illustrations. The poems themselves range from almost pure nonsense, la Edward Lear, to more sensible poems of humor and whimsy, akin in spirit to the gentler work of Silverstein. In most of the selections, Walsh's love of wordplay and the music of language are strongly evident, and the inclusion of several long-lined verses seems a tip of the hat to Lear. The book closes with three Christmas songs, the last of which, ""Coplas para Navidad"" (""Christmas Verses""), explicitly reaches out to those adults who may be reading this book to the children. An excellent choice for bookstores and libraries. Coop Renner, Paul C. Moreno Elementary, El Paso, TX