RAINY DAY RHYMES
edited by Gail Radley & illustrated by Ellen Kandoian
Seventeen brief poems by such familiar writers as Dorothy Aldis, Rachel Field, and Harry Behn, each presented on a delicate double-spread watercolor depicting young children enjoying the wet weather. The poems occasionally include a glint of humor (``I fell into a river once/ But this is even better''—Marchette Chute); mostly, their forte is simple but deftly evocative words (``How brave a ladybug must be!/ Each drop of rain is big as she./ Can you imagine what you'd do/ if raindrops fell as big as you?''—Aileen Fisher). Kandoian's beautifully understated art is as lyrical as the language. Index. (Poetry/Picture book. 5-8)