MADELINE

by Ludwig Bemelmans
The smallest (and bravest) of the "twelve little girls in two straight lines" has traveled a long way from the old house in Paris—thanks to the singsong language of this story. Viking; ages four to eight.
MADELINE

GREEN EGGS AND HAM

by Dr. Seuss
The creative Sam-I-Am and his relentless sales pitch for a strange cuisine (in a house, with a mouse, in a box, with a fox) is one of many Dr. Suess books that has turned generations of readers into poetry lovers.
Random House; ages four to eight.
GREEN EGGS AND HAM

SING A SONG OF POPCORN: EVERY CHILD'S BOOK OF POEMS

selected by Beatrice Shenk de Regniers, and others.
With verse spanning the centuries and illustrations by nine Caldecott-winning artists, this stunning collection is bound to stir any young poet's soul. Scholastic; all ages.
SING A SONG OF POPCORN: EVERY CHILD'S BOOK OF POEMS

JOYFUL NOISE: POEMS FOR TWO VOICES

by Paul Fleischman
"Being a bee / is a pain. / I'm a worker / I'll gladly explain." Here's a book of poems--about insects, no less--whose alternating lines were made to be read out loud with a friend. HarperCollins; ages nine to 12.
JOYFUL NOISE: POEMS FOR TWO VOICES

WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS

by Shel Silverstein
Silly, irreverent, and sometimes nonsensical, these popular, kid-friendly poems sneak in poignant messages among the yuks. HarperCollins; ages nine to 12.
WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS