LUNCH BOX MAIL

Familiar childhood experiences are described in these lighthearted verses, whose subjects range from the first day of school to the 179th and from beginning kindergarten to having a bad hair day. A section devoted to food (“Appeteasers”) includes “Daddy’s Spaghetti” and “Supermarket Spies,” while “In Full Swing” features activities ranging from “Sidewalk Art” to “The Dance Recital.” “Winding Down” concludes the collection with “In the garden, / dewdrops fall, / the moonlight whispers, / ‘Good night, all.’ ” Lightly and brightly colored gouache and acrylic cartoon drawings decorate each page. Although adult readers may find the verses predictable, lacking the punch of a Prelutsky or a Silverstein, younger readers will probably relate to the familiar situations, and delight in the antics and expressive faces of the sprightly figures whose actions extend the poems. (Poetry/picture book. 5-8)