A Foot in the Mouth selected by Paul Janeczko and illustrated by Chris Raschka. Candlewick, Random House, 2009. $20.00 ages 10 and up

"My favorite poems
hold a wooden spoon of words
and whisper:
Taste."

These are poems that beg to be read aloud…as all poetry should be read! Paul Janeczko has chosen 38 poems to share with his readers; they are all about the way words sound when spoken. The choices are many and varied….poems for one voice, or two, three or a chorus. The difficulty will come in choosing which one to learn, to share and to keep in your heart forever. There are ten sections and they include 'Tongue Twisters', 'Bilingual Poems', and are quite different from the two previous books that author and artist have produced which looked at patterns and forms in poetry. Chris Raschka honors the poem’s speaker in his accompanying illustrations; there is a lone dog, a young, very confident basketball player and even a Loch Ness monster. Each adds to the wealth of this fine collection.

The three books in this fine group would add depth and variety to a poetry unit, and give pause to think about which could be included as performance pieces. Watch for A Poke in the Eye (Candlewick, 2001) and A Kick in the Head (Candlewick, 2005).