IF I HAD A MILLION ONIONS

A delight from first line to last, these 25 poems—each featuring small, whimsical colored-pencil sketches from a Colombian illustrator—take on topics from the simple joys of riding a bumper car, the relief that comes from turning a library book in on time and “Grampy’s Borborygmus” (look it up) to the qualities that enrich a life. “ . . . May your fingernails get dirty / May your underwear be clean / May your monsters all be friendly / May your grass be mostly green.” Unusually varied in voice, form, length and meter, but showing consistent sensitivity to the sound and flow of language, Fitch’s rhymes will leave even the most tone-deaf ears and souls eager to (as the title poem puts it) “juggle some / Then huggle some / And give the rest away.” (Poetry. 8-12)