BEHOLD THE BOLD UMBRELLAPHANT

The reigning king of iambic “pun”tameter returns with 17 new poems. By compressing words with shared syllables, Prelutsky hybridizes common objects and animals. Kids will delight in meeting “The Eggbeaturkey,” “Shoehornets” and “The Ballpoint Penguins.” The poems, most executed in iambic tetrameter, turn on trademark absurdity: “The TRUMPETOOS and TUBAOONS / Are blaring out discordant tunes. / They play them loud, they play them long, / But most of all, they play them wrong.” Tautly controlling meter and rhyme, Prelutsky brings the roiling fun to a simmer with wry conclusions. (“They march about in close array. / We wish they’d simply march away, / Or stop and take a silent snooze— / Those TUBABOONS and TRUMPETOOS.” Berger’s whimsical collages craftily handle exotica like “The Solitary Spatuloon” and “The Ocelock.” A few poems present challenges. “The Limber Bulboa’s” pun is a stretch for younger gigglers, though redeemed with this surefire couplet: “It has no idea what it’s likely to find / As it lights up its way with its brilliant behind.” Pretty brilliant, indeed. (Poetry. 5-9)