Calef Brown pairs his original, not-quite-nonsense poems with distinctively styled, offbeat paintings in this humorous collection. In “Ten-Cent Haiku” he writes about a dime: “Shiny silver friend / I will never let you go / Look! An ice cream truck!” With the exception of his haiku, most of Brown’s poems rhyme, but that is where predictability ends as he writes on topics ranging from the latest country-and-western hit (“Biscuits in the Wind”) to the wishes of worms, Medusa’s sister (her name is Sally) to Poseidon’s hair (growing a little thin). Brown plays with rhythm, too, so that the pacing is as lively and ever-changing as the topics in this enjoyable collection. (Ages 7–10)