Centaur, The

First published in 1956, May Swenson's The Centaur remains one of her most popular and most anthologized poems. This is its first appearance as a picture book for children. In images bright and brisk and tangible, the poet re-creates the joy of riding a stick horse through a small-town summer. As her shape shifts from child to horse and back, we know exactly what she feels. Sherry Meidell's water-color illustrations perfectly convey the wit and beauty of May Swenson's poem. These are playful, satisfying images full of vitality and imagination. Meidell handles the joy of poem'sfantasy and the joy of its occasional naughtiness with equal success.