SIMMS TABACK’S GREAT BIG BOOK OF SPACEY, SNAKEY, BUGGY RIDDLES

As the mouthful of a title indicates, the only subjects covered are supposed to be about space, snakes or bugs, though the riddles sometimes stretch these boundaries. The jacket copy says the riddles “will make readers laugh—or groan,” but unfortunately such riddles as “Why is a cloud like Santa Claus? / Because it holds the rain, dear!” don’t do much of either, and aren’t particularly spacey, snakey or buggy, to boot. Luckily Taback’s vibrant, colorful illustrations combine the right amount of smart and silly. The insects are wonderfully buggy, with hairy legs aplenty, and the sneaky snakes all have perfect poker faces. This visual wit saves the somewhat random, ho-hum collection. There are some highlights, however, such as, “What do little rattlesnakes like best in school? / Hisssss-tory!” or, “What did the mosquito say when she got a stomachache? / It must have been someone I ate!” Maybe die-hard riddle fans will eat it up, and it’s fun for the eye, but otherwise not one to run to. (Picture book. 4-8)