THE WORD PARTY
by Richard Edwards & illustrated by John Lawrence
Forty-seven short poems—most lighthearted but a few serious (and one or two downright silly), and some previously published in England—with lots of mouth-filling words (not always in the dictionary: ``dumbledor''), whimsical names (Mr. Marrumpeter, Uncle Fazackerly, Lady Belinda Fox-Gore), and sing-songy rhythms. Subjects range from weather and animals to scary places and local eccentrics. There are a few memorable conceits—a nude statue that climbs down from her pedestal and goes for an ice cream (``The waiter wondered: could she be/A film star in disguise?''); kitchen utensils that bewilder their owner when they don't get themselves back in place after their midnight revels; an incontinent young cloud who annoys his mother because he has to rain so often. Not destined to become classics, but kids who like Milne's poems may like these, too. Jaunty pen-and-ink illustrations. Index. (Poetry. 5-10)