READY FOR SPAGHETTI

Thirty-two easy poems aimed at fledgling readers tickled by “rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and play.”

“I’m ready for spaghetti. / Will you getti the spaghetti? / Don’t say ‘Not yetti spaghetti!’ / I’m all setti for spaghetti.” Dunbar’s watercolors, depicting a racially diverse cast of laughing, active children in pajamas or play clothes, reflect the celebratory tone of Rosen’s breezy miniverses, which are not only suitable for chanting or singing as well as silent reading, but are often structured to make it easy for children to add their own rhymes and embellishments. His subjects range from a run through the ABCs and (at the end, of course) snuggling down into a bedtime hush to stars, snails, and sneezes: “Where’s the sneeze gone? / I’m going to guess: / It started in my nose / And ended in a mess.” The wordplay particularly shines in verses evocatively titled “Long Leggy Eggy” and the unbridled nonsense of “Hip Hap Happy” (“Give me a hip / Give me a hap / Give me a hip hap happy / Give me a tip / Give me a tap / Give me a tip tap tappy”), but the cheery tone remains so steady that even the final sighed “Good night!” comes with an exclamation point. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Irresistible invitations to engage and interact with words.