Authors:
Hardcover, 248 pages
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: 1983-09-12


Reviews :

    Illus. in color and full color. "A generous collection with a distinctly upbeat tone, this gives a taste of the best poets writing for children over the last several decades. Lobel's drawings imbue the whole with action and graphic images as inventive as the verse. Successfully geared to meet home, school, and library needs."--(starred) Booklist. ...

    The Random House Book of Poetry for Children was recognized upon its publication in 1983 as an invaluable collection--a modern classic--and it has not since been surpassed. Five hundred poems, selected by poet and anthologist Jack Prelutsky, are divided into broad subject areas such as nature, seasons, living things, children, and home. The poems of Emily Dickinson, Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, and Gwendolyn Brooks populate the book's pages, while Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, Ogden Nash, and Shel Silverstein ensure that the collection delights even the most reluctant readers of rhyme. Playground chants, anonymous rhymes, scary poems, silly verse, and even some sad strains are carefully indexed by title, author, first line, and subject. With illustrations of cheerful, round-faced children and animals on every page, Arnold Lobel (a Caldecott medalist and creator of the Frog and Toad series) unifies the diverse poems to form a satisfying whole; Lobel can draw anything and make it funny--or poignant, if he chooses. This collection, one of the most varied and complete around, will carry any budding poetry lover through childhood and beyond. (Ages 5 to 11.)...

Authors:
Hardcover, 112 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 1986-10-12


Reviews :

    First published in 1986 and just as fresh and relevant today, this widely acclaimed, child-friendly poetry anthology is now being reissued with a striking new jacket. In his introduction to this book Jim Trelease, bestselling author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, writes, “No one better recognizes the essence of the child-poetry connection than poet and anthologist Jack Prelutsky. . . . Here are more than 200 little poems to feed little people with little attention spans to help both grow. Marc Brown’s inviting illustrations add a visual dimension to the poems, which further engage young imaginations.” The poems are by 119 of the best-known poets of the 20th century....

    Poems about picnics, pretending, and puppies make this book the book to introduce little ones to poetry about the world around them. Jack Prelutsky, one of today's most respected children's poets, has selected more than 200 short poems--old favorites, traditional rhymes, and humorous verses--that will delight young listeners. The poems cover a wide range of experiences in a young child's life, from everyday events to special days to the world of the imagination.

Marc Brown, author and illustrator of the popular Arthur series, uses colored-pencil illustrations and borders to unify the poems, helping to create a pleasing, lively collection to carry children from their preschool years into the early elementary grades. As Jim Trelease tells us in his introduction to the book, "Unlike the toys we buy our children, poems cannot break." (Ages 2 to 7)...

Authors: Jack Prelutsky.
Paperback, 48 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 2008-01-01


Reviews :

   

From reading under the covers to watching shadows dance on the wall, these fourteen vigorous verses show that a child's life begins at bedtime!

...

    The childhood ritual of being put to bed has been a source of inspiration for children (and frustration for grownups) throughout the ages. Prolific children's poet Jack Prelutsky has taken this undeniable truism and run with it in My Parents Think I'm Sleeping, an eye-opening, poetic romp through the multitude of adventures that can take place after the lights have been turned out. From pleasant nighttime thoughts ("I have been in bed for hours, / but I'm sure I'm wide-awake, / for my head is filled with visions / of a forest by a lake.") to philosophical ponderings ("What happens to the colors / when night replaces day? / What turns the wrens to ravens, / the trees to shades of gray?"), children everywhere will relate to these soothing, sleepy poems. Illustrated by Yossi Abolafia with the foggy blues and grays of the gloaming, kids will love snuggling up with this book--in fact, it just might make tuck-in time a dream! (Ages 4 to 8)...

Authors:
Hardcover, 96 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 1999-09-28


Reviews :

    "Until this century, most children's poetry was either syrupy sweet or overblown and didactic, and tended to talk down to its readers. Contemporary children's poets have thrown all that condescension and moralizing out the window, and write with today's real child in mind."
- from the Introduction by Jack Prelutsky

Here in one gloriously illustrated volume are 211 wonderful poems that represent the best this century has to offer. From sibling rivalry, school, monsters, food, and just plain silliness, to such ageless themes as the seasons, Who am I?, and the many moods of childhood, this is a collection that begs to be read aloud and shared with the whole family. The poems, from every decade of this century, showcase 137 famous poets.

Selected by Jack Prelutsky, America's leading children's poet, and illustrated by award-winning watercolorist Meilo So, this useful and beautiful gift is a splendid way to end the century -- or start a new one. Truly a book that families will cherish long after the millennium excitement is over, The 20th-Century Children's Poetry Treasury is a joyous companion volume to the best-selling The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury....

    "I objurgate the centipede,/ A bug we do not really need," writes Ogden Nash. Carl Sandburg hums and strums, while pages later, William Jay Smith compares a toaster to a silver-scaled dragon. And of course A.A. Milne must add his two cents' worth, "tiddely pom, tiddely pom." What a labor of love! Children's poet and anthologist Jack Prelutsky has collected 211 of his favorite poems by 137 poets, representing the best of verse from each decade of the 20th century. "Until this century, most children's poetry was either syrupy sweet or overblown and didactic, and tended to talk down to its readers," Prelutsky writes in his introduction. "Contemporary children's poets have thrown all that condescension and moralizing out the window, and write with today's real child in mind."

What's in this anthology for today's child? Food fights, outer space, animals, noses, monsters, sports, and sibling rivalry. Each of award-winning illustrator Meilo So's spectacular watercolor-splashed spreads reflects a theme: one buggy watercolor romp is surrounded by Deborah Chandra's "Cricket," Walter R. Brooks's "Ants, Although Admirable, Are Awfully Aggravating," and Robert Frost's "Blue-Butterfly Day." Five nocturnal poems nestle into a moonlit cityscape. Four music-related poems, from Bruce Lansky's "My Violin" to X.J. Kennedy's "The Girl Who Makes the Cymbals Bang," burst from So's cacophonous paintings. This excellent collection, a companion to The 20th Century Children's Book Treasury, belongs on every poetry lover's bookshelf. Prelutsky, creator of The New Kid on the Block, The Dragons Are Singing Tonight, and more than 30 other poetry books, has perfect pitch. (Click to see a sample spread. Illustrations copyright 1999 by Meilo So. Permission of Alfred A. Knopf.) (All ages) --Karin Snelson...

Authors: Dr Seuss. Jack Prelutsky. Lane Smith.
Hardcover, 56 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 1998-04-08
Edition: 1st

Reviews :

    Started by Seuss, finished by Jack Prelutsky, and splendiferously illustrated by Lane Smith, this is the children's book publishing event of the year! Big--56 pages--and bursting with energy, here is a joyous ode to individuality, starring an unsinkable teacher named Miss Bonkers and quirky little Diffendoofer School, which must prove it has taught its students how to think--or have them sent to dreary Flobbertown. Included is an introduction by Dr. Seuss's longtime editor explaining how the book came to be and reproducing Dr. Seuss's 1989 original pencil sketches and hand-printed notes for the book--a true find for all Seuss collectors. In Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith pay homage to Dr. Seuss in their own distinctive ways. The result is the union of three one-of-a-kind voices in a brand-new, completely original book that is greater than the sum of its parts. For all of us who will never forget our school days and that special teacher, here is a book to give and to get.  ...

    With the release of Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! readers young and old are afforded a dazzling glimpse into the genius of Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. The book is based on 14 rough drawings and verses Geisel's secretary gave to the author's editor, Janet Schulman, after his death in 1991. In these scribbled sketches and scratched-out lines, we witness the Seussian process in building a story. When brainstorming the name of what resulted in the Diffendoofer School, he jots down several possible names--"William Wilkins Woofer Junior," "Woodrow Watkins Woofer," "Zoofendorf Elementary," "J. Ebeneezer Bomberg Jr."--all of a slightly different cadence and rhythm, which he tests like a composer writing a new concerto.

A small collection of Geisel's rough sketches would be plenty to thrill even the Grinchiest of readers, but there's much more to this marvelous book. Renowned children's poet Jack Prelutsky and award-winning illustrator Lane Smith were called to action by Schulman to pull these sketches into a complete story that would make Dr. Seuss fruffulous with glee. Prelutsky's delicious verse is uncannily Seussian, and it is inexplicably sensational when exploring the Diffendoofer School to discover good old Horton, a platter of green eggs and ham, and a few Whos from Who-ville scattered across the surreal and fascinating landscape of Smith's artwork. Lane and Prelutsky have gone above and beyond the call of duty, maintaining the characters and themes Geisel was just beginning to develop, but enhancing them with their own delightful stylistic stamps.

Above all, this incredible book is an ode to unorthodox, unusually creative teachers, and the innovative thinking they encourage in young minds. (Miss Twining, for example, teaches "how to tell chrysanthemums from miniature poodles.") It is a noble theme, and one that Geisel surely had in mind when he concocted these preliminary sketches. Both new Dr. Seuss aficionados and those who remember The Cat in the Hat's 1957 debut will cherish this book for its message, artwork, and poetry, and most of all, as a tribute to the man who inspired thousands of readers. (Age 3 and older) ...

Authors:
Hardcover, 96 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 1991-03-20


Reviews :

    Illus. in full color. "These nonsense verses combine the domestic and the gross, deadpan and slapstick, with a lilting rhythm and satisfying rhyme. The poets are well-known contemporaries including Prelutsky, Silverstein, Kuskin, Lobel, Viorst, and many more. The design is ebullient. Start or end story hour with these verses, and kids will know reading's a pleasure."--(starred) Booklist. ...

Authors: Jack Prelutsky.
Paperback, 208 pages
Publisher: Collins
Publication Date: 2008-03-01


Reviews :

   

Have you ever tried to write a poem about a pizza? How about a pig? How about a pigeon, penguin, potato, Ping-Pong, parrot, puppy, pelican, porcupine, pie, pachyderm, or your parents?

Jack Prelutsky has written more than a thousand poems about all of these things—and many others. In this book he gives you the inside scoop on writing poetry and shows you how you can turn your own experiences and stories about your family, your pets, and your friends into poems. He offers tips, advice, and secrets about writing and provides some fun exercises to help you get started (or unstuck). You'll also get a behind-the-scenes look at the ingredients of some of his most popular poems. If you are a poet, want to be a poet, or if you have to write a poem for homework and you just need some help, this is the book for you!

...

Authors: Jack Prelutsky.
Hardcover, 160 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 2008-03-01


Reviews :

   

Have you ever encountered an underwater marching band, a pig in a bathing suit, a pet orangutan, or a witch in a hardware store? Have you ever sat with a skunk in a courtroom, shopped for a dinosaur, or conversed with a Bupple, a Wosstrus, a Violinnet, or a Celloon? You will have, once you've read this exuberant collaboration from Jack Prelutsky and his "partner in crime"* James Stevenson.

The "reigning czars of silliness"* have once again teamed up to bring readers an irresistible collection of poems that will have tongues twisting, imaginations soaring, and sides aching with laughter. The result is genius, indeed.

^*Publishers Weekly (starred review)

...

Authors: Jack Prelutsky.
Paperback, 160 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 2005-03-01


Reviews :

   

It's raining pigs and noodles,
it's pouring frogs and hats,
chrysanthemums and poodles,
bananas, brooms, and cats.

The master of mischievous rhyme, Jack Prelutsky, and his partner in crime, James Stevenson, have whipped up a storm of more than one hundred hilarious poems and zany drawings. Grab your umbrella -- and make sure it's a big one!

...

    Brace yourself for more pun-ishment from the playful Jack Prelutsky and illustrator James Stevenson, creators of The New Kid on the Block, Something Big Has Been Here, and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. More than 100 Prelutsky poems populate the pages--a mix of 8-year-old-boy humor, nonsense poetry in the tradition of Ogden Nash and Edward Lear, and clever, often unabashedly shameless, wordplay. While there are many, many doozies, our favorite is "Hiccup!," excerpted here:

I've tried gulping hiccup water,
stood upon my hiccup head,
held my breath until my hiccup
hiccup face turned hiccup red.

Chronic cogitators are celebrated in "Quibble Q. Quing" (who thinks about things), and wild imaginations in "Purple Orangutans:" ("Rabbits and parrots play tag in the stars, / marshmallows march in the meadows of Mars... / these are a few of the wonders I find / in the magic museum I keep in my mind.") Children find a kindred spirit in Prelutsky, a poet who knows full well that overweight underdogs and chocolate-covered salami and Sniffing Snutterwudds are always worth a giggle. Stevenson's understated (but always expressive) line drawings suit this silly collection to a T. (Perfect for reading aloud to younger readers, but wordsmiths ages 9 and older will pick up all the puns.) --Karin Snelson...

Authors: Jack Prelutsky.
Paperback, 40 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: 1998-08-27


Reviews :

    An "excellent collection....Prelutsky and Sis...bring to life so many sorts of dragons: the large, the small, the ferocious, the technological, the gentle, the ominous, and the disconsolate. There's a `just right' quality to the verse that makes it a pleasure to read the words aloud. Their sounds fit together with seamless craftsmanship and their sense rewards listeners with humor, imagination, and occasional poignancy....Because it appeals on so many levels, this is one poetry book that won't siton the shelf for long."--Booklist....

    "If you don't believe in dragons, / It is curiously true / That the dragons you disparage / Choose to not to believe in you," matter-of-factly claims America's premiere children's poet Jack Prelutsky. Dragons aren't all the same, of course--some are amiable, some are disconsolate, and some are downright nasty. Here Prelutsky, who has written over 30 books of poetry for children, turns his considerable talents to the subject of dragons--a secret dragon, a thunder dragon, a mechanical dragon, even a lazy dragon who likes to sleep all day. The 17 poems range from the whimsical to the scary, but all reflect Prelutsky's incomparable flair for rhythm and humor. The fabulous fire-breathers are illustrated in all their irresistible splendor by award-winning artist Peter Sis. The sophisticated style of his large oil paintings is complemented by his trademark borders in antique gold, giving the pages an Old World look. If you don't believe in dragons then you need this book, because the magical combination of art and poetry will make you and your kids believers. If you listen closely, you might even hear the dragons singing tonight: "We are dragons! We are real!" Text © 1993 by Jack Prelutsky. Illustrations © 1993 by Peter Sis. Permission by Greenwillow Books.) (Ages 5 to 9) --Marcie Bovetz...