April is National Poetry Month, a smart time to remind young readers of the joys and creative expression involved in poetry. One book is a unique group of poems about the power of music; the others are zesty rhyming tales for youngsters. These make incredible introductions to poetry.

"Jazz Day: The Making of Famous Photography" by Roxanne Orgill; illustrated by Francis Vallejo; Candlewick Press; 55 pages; $18.99.

In 1958, graphic designer Art Kane had a crazy idea — to gather as many jazz musicians as possible in front of a Harlem house and take a big black-and-white picture for Esquire magazine. He had to borrow a camera, stake out "an absolutely typical" brownstone, call the police to block off a street and deal with a slew of kids on a hot summer's day. Would the nightlife-driven musicians show up?

Roxanne Orgill crafted a big set of poems about this fun event, from "Some Kind of Formation" to "Names" (about Count Basie), to "Scuffle" to "This Moment" (drummer Eddie Locke's take on the gathering). Fascinatingly fun and magical, "Jazz Day" is a truly cool slice-of-life piece with tons of jazz biographies and background information thrown in. The poems feature lots of bee-bop and zip. Francis Vallejo's vintage illustrations are full of excitement and a groovy vibe.

"Who Woke the Baby?" by Jane Clarke; illustrated by Charles Fuge; Nosy Crow/Candlewick Press; 28 pages; $12.99.

"This is the baby who woke in the morn, smelly and yelly and all forlorn," begins this lively romp about a little gorilla that wakes up unhappy. The cumulative tale, a take on "This is the Spider," introduces a bevy of wide-eyed creatures. "This is the crocodile, snippety-snap, who woke up Lion from his nap. Lion stopped his dreamy snoring and woke up Zebra with his roaring," goes one. "Bee, all striped and buzzy, who woke up Frog by being so buzzy," goes another.

Eventually all the animals stop being snappy, as Little Gorilla becomes mesmerized by a beautiful butterfly, that in turn manages to calm everyone down. As brightly colored as real nature, Jane Clarke's rollicking rhymer is a truly fun read-aloud tale.

"Over on the Farm" by Marianne Berkes; illustrated by Cathy Morrison; Dawn Publications; 32 pages; $8.95.

To the tune of "Over in the Meadow," Marianne Berkes' latest picture book uses active rhythms, counting and movement opportunities to introduce a farm adventure that's happy, vibrant and fun. While counting groups of animals — "Over on the farm where the corn plants thrive, lived a graceful mother horse and her little foals five" — preschoolers will be excited to find out what happens next. "'Gallop,' said the mother. 'We gallop,' said the five. So they galloped by a field where the corn plants thrive," reads the bold lettering.

From one to 10, Berkes counts farm animals such as chicks, goats and kittens. The end of the book features more info about each type of animal, fun activities that tie into farming, and further suggestions for farm- and garden-related reads.

"Bears in a Band" by Shirley Parenteau; illustrated by David Walker; Candlewick; 30 pages; $15.99.

Whimsy and adorable little characters plus cute-as-a-button rhyming text makes Shirley Parenteau's toddler tale a must-have. Classic, retro, rounded little bears play their musical instruments. "Fuzzy likes to crash and bang. She picks up cymbals. Clang! Clang! Clang!" Before they know it, though, Big Bear is awakened. He joins in happily with a ladle and then: "A ripple of bells, a drumroll, and now, the musical bears share an elegant bow."

A truly sweet rhyming read, "Bears in a Band" is musical fun.

To find out more about Lee Littlewood, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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