I agree with Michael. What he says is certainly true in the world of children's publishing. I now frequent the boards and blogs in the area, and read lots of interviews of children's editors and agents, and they say pretty much the same thing to aspiring writers. They say "do not write in rhyme," but then, when asked to explain, they pretty much say, "I have no prejudice against rhyme, it's just that the rhyme we get is so bad, and we get so much of it, that we want to spare ourselves having to read through it, so it's a general rule."
If you saw the manuscript exchanges on the children's writing forums, where those who routinely submit manuscripts to publishers often post their work before doing so, you would understand why editors say they don't want to look at rhyme. But then look at their books, and you'll see that many of them rhyme after all.
It's like my attitude toward seafood. I often decline to order seafood because I don't trust the restaurant to serve it fresh, but, if I'm in a good restaurant, I go ahead and order it. My general attitude toward seafood is actually a fear of food poisoning.
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