cover image A Rumpus of Rhymes: A Book of Noisy Poems

A Rumpus of Rhymes: A Book of Noisy Poems

Bobbi Katz. Dutton Children's Books, $15.99 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-525-46718-2

Poet Bobbi Katz gets into a groove in A Rumpus of Rhymes: A Book of Noisy Poems. In this collection of 28 original works, Katz's words burst from the page in an onomatopoeic flourish. ""Caught in the Act"" explains the punishment for stealing potato chips: ""And now I'm grounded! What a pain / betrayed by crinkling cellophane!"" In ""Spring Conversations:"" ""`Whisk!'/ whirls the jump rope,/ twirling/ around./ `THUD!'/ say the sneakers,/ bouncing off the ground.""' Each ""noisy"" word gets special typeface thin, heavy, looping and brisk to suit the sound. Susan Estalle Kwas's neon-bright illustrations with a bold black outline add thunder. ( Oct.)