THE HORBEAM TREE: And Other Poems

Eighteen poems about birds and animals, plus the title piece, by the author of several volumes of poetry for adults. This is his first book for children, and uneven in quality: while there are occasional felicitous lines, more are awkwardly phrased to suit the self-imposed meter, or simply not apt--spaniels with ""periscope tails and. . .corduroy grins""; or, ""For all who love a cat are kind."" Rand is a fine watercolorist, and he creates some nice effects here with deer and chickadees; but his downy woodpecker has been, inexcusably, half-devoured by the book's gutter. A marginal effort.