Ready for Spaghetti: Funny Poems for Funny Kids

PreS-K–In this endearing volume, Rosen explores the ins and outs of children’s daily experiences. Simple acts, such as brushing teeth, reciting the alphabet, and scratching an itch become opportunities for lively linguistic merriment. Rosen intentionally crafts each poem from a child’s point of view, cheerfully experimenting with rhyme (“Bumblebee rumble,/ Bumblebee tumble”), alliteration (“Pipple, popple, pop”), and repetition (“Swing me on the swing,/ Swinging and swinging and swinging.”) While the construction of the verses at times feels slightly pat, the playful aesthetic will undoubtedly appeal to toddlers and preschoolers who are beginning to develop a love of language. The musicality of the writing encourages adults to share in the fun as they read the poems out loud—and perhaps invent whimsical rhymes of their own. Dunbar’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations, finished digitally, bring a loose, vibrant visual energy to the collection. In bright, appealing vignettes, children are depicted frolicking merrily through games and daily activities on their own, with each other, and occasionally with adults.