THE HOUSE THAT CRACK BUILT

A harrowing takeoff on ""The House That Jack Built,"" this cumulative rhyme takes readers from a large, comfortable house somewhere in Latin America, through the network of cocaine production and distribution, to the ""Girl who's killing her brain/Smoking the crack that numbs the pain"" and the ""Baby with nothing to eat/Born of the girl..."" The haunting, rhythmical text is enhanced by stylized, shadowed color illustrations featuring desperate-looking figures roaming an urban landscape, their heads cocked or even upside-down. The message is reinforced with a closing appeal by drug counselor Michael Pritchard, plus information about five national anti-drug organizations. An effective, nonpreachy tool for drug educators at any level.