Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme    by Jack Prelutsky & Meilo So Order:  USA  Can Dragonfly, 2009 (2005) Hardcover, Softcover      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson I love carefully selected compilations of poetry, and Jack Prelutsky has taken his choices one important step further in Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme. He groups verses into ten topics and then provides his own Poemstart for each category, offering hints on how to continue, as well as possible rhyming words. Meilo So's vivid and whimsical illustrations further ignite young readers' imaginations and encourage them to try their own hand at writing in rhymes. Prelutsky's eclectic topics are: Dog, Food, Birthday, Bug, Cow (in which he includes Ogden Nash's 'The cow is of the bovine ilk, / One end is moo, the other milk', an old favorite of mine), Friends, Snow, Turtle, Rain, and Myself. The poems are perfect for the topics and the Poemstarts will make readers want to set pen to paper and invoke the muse. Here's an example under Myself: 'I'm bigger than a bumblebee, / I'm smaller than a whale. / I'm slower than a cheetah, / I'm faster than a snail.' I've always enjoyed reading poetry to children, and with Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme, they can write their own from Jack Prelutsky's Poemstarts and read it back. This inspiring picture book belongs in children's school libraries and home bookcases alike. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews