Plum

"Come to the Elephant Delicatessen./ Sample the delicate elephant treats." Lyrical poems about epicurean elephants, puzzled peas, and "freak cat-fleas" pepper Tripoli-born poet Tony Mitton's whimsical poetry collection, illustrated by Mary GrandPré, best known for her artwork in the U.S. editions of the Harry Potter series. Mitton anthropomorphizes objects from plums ("Don't be so glum, plum") to bubbles ("I am only/ a bubble,/ the ghost of a ball./ If I'm caught/ then I'm naught,/ I am nothing at all"). He also enjoys telling stories with his poetry, including the over-the-top, nine-page-long "Mrs. Bhattacharya's Chapati Zap Machine" about a complex chapati-making mechanism with a mind of its own, and "The Histon Boulder" about Moses Carter's stone in England. Many of the poems have a distinctly British feel, such as "Green Man Lane" and "Mrs. Rummage's Muddle-Up Shop" where readers will find the terms "loo-rolls," "button tin," and "plastic mac," all defined in the author's notes in the back. GrandPré's inventive interpretations swoop and swirl with bold, somewhat geometrical, larger-than-life imagery of serpents, giants, and scary tree roots to dizzying effect. (Ages 5 to 9) --Karin Snelson