April may be National Poetry Month, but these new children's books prove that reading poetry can -- and should -- be a wonderful year-round activity:

• David Elliott's short, snappy rhymes pair perfectly with Holly Meade's energetic woodcut/watercolor illustrations in "On the Farm" (Candlewick Press, $16.99). This oversized picture book is just right for reading aloud to young children, who will both wonder and laugh at Elliott's observations ("The sheep/began his woolly life/as gentle as a/lamb. Too bad/ he turned/into a/ram./ BAM!"). Meade's illustrations carry on the fun, offering young readers an up-close-and-personal look at farm creatures. (Ages 3-6.)

• Lee Bennett Hopkins is one of the nation's most distinguished poets and anthologists for children, and he's outdone himself as the editor of a spectacular new book, "America at War" (McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, $21.99). Beautifully illustrated by Stephen Alcorn, "America at War" uses poetry to show the emotional impact of U.S. wars from the American Revolution through the Iraq War.

Chosen by Hopkins (who has included a poignant piece of his own), the poems in "America at War" go straight to the heart. For example, Hopkins includes a poem titled "Missing" in the Persian Gulf War section of the book. In the poem, writer Cynthia Cotton details how much she misses her brother, then concludes: "There are people/with guns/in that land of sand/who want to shoot/my brother./ I hope/ they miss him,/ too." Another example: In "Front Porch Knitting," which is included in the World War II section, poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater writes: "Tightly knit/Neatly purl/ Socks for men/In planes/In ditches/Silent prayers/In woolen stitches." (Ages 8 up -- adults also will enjoy this collection.)

• Two new picture books both use a series of poems to tell a story:

Poet Nikki Grimes is a veteran of using the picture-book format to tell a story through a series of connected poems. Her three picture books about the adventures of a girl named Danitra Brown, for example, are a great example of how well this way of telling a story can work.

Now, Grimes turns her focus to blended families in her new picture book of poetry, "Oh, Brother!" (HarperCollins, $16.99). Featuring lustrous gouache illustrations by Mike Benny, "Oh, Brother!" details the challenges a young boy named Xavier faces in accepting his new stepbrother, Chris. As Grimes shows, Xavier feels it's bad enough having a stepbrother he never wanted, but watching Chris try to be the perfect son is just too much.

When Xavier confronts Chris, however, he's surprised to learn the reason behind Chris' behavior: "Unless I'm perfect," whispers Chris/"my dad might go away./ Normal wasn't good enough/ to make my mama stay." That scene becomes a turning point in the brothers' relationship and, although things aren't always smooth, the two forge an increasingly tight connection that is particularly important once their family grows to include a new baby sister.

Grimes' 20 poems are rich in emotions that will ring especially true to a young reader who's part of a blended family. But any reader can enjoy the story that Grimes tells, as well as the way she uses poetry to tell it. (Ages 5-10.)

In "Stella, Unleashed" (Sterling, $14.95), poet Linda Ashman and illustrator Paul Meisel combine talents to tell the story of a beaglelike mutt, from her early days in the dog pound through her growing attachment to her new family.

Subtitled "Notes From the Doghouse," Ashman's text -- a series of 29 poems -- is a hilarious look at the world through the sharp eyes and nose of a dog. Stella's not only smart, but she's also opinionated, and readers will roar at her comments about her family. For example, here are the last two stanzas of Stella's description of the baby of the house: "Speedy on four legs./ Wobbly on two./Often seen traveling with bear./Splashes my water./Plays with my toys./Best when confined to its chair."

Meisel's illustrations make the most of the comedy, showing Stella's stoic resignation to wearing hats and gowns when playing with the young girl in the family and blissfully eating a steak that she's grabbed from a tabletop. Pair this book with Andrew Clements' "Dogku" for a rollicking read-aloud session starring a couple of clever canines. (Ages 4-8.)

• Poet Alan Katz pulls out all the stops in his silly, sometimes gross collection of poems titled "Oops!" (McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, $17.99). Katz's pun-filled poems, paired with black-and-white drawings by New Yorker artist Edward Koren, are guaranteed to elicit belly laughs from elementary-school-aged students. Katz ends the book with a hilarious free-form essay that is part autobiography and part effort to convince kids that writing poetry is fun. (Ages 7-10.)