Jack Prelutsky

--by Hanje Richards

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Although Jack Prelutsky claims to have hated poetry when he was younger, he is the author of more than 50 poetry collections. He has also compiled numerous children's anthologies comprising poems of others and, in 2006, the Poetry Foundation named him the inaugural winner of the Children’s Poet Laureate award.

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When asked what else he likes to do, Prelutsky said, “I enjoy photography, carpentry, and creating games, collages and "found object" sculpture. Lately, I've been teaching myself to draw and create multimedia on the computer. I also collect art, children's poetry books, and frog miniatures. I studied classical music as a young man and still attend the opera and symphony whenever I get the chance. I also love to eat out!”

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Beneath a Blue Umbrella - Gaily illustrated rhymes that trip lightly on the tongue. Interspersed among such silly characters as Anna Banana, Upside-down Roy or Jennifer Juniper are poems about animals, including a melon-swallowing hippo, a bobolink that marries a frog, and Patter Pitter Caterpillar. With characteristic style and slapdash verve, Prelutsky's verses celebrate creatures across the country, from the Iowa farmer who is plagued by crows to the puppies who steal pretzels in Philadelphia.

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The Gargoyle On the Roof - In this picture book for older readers, Jack Prelutsky and Peter Sis take on the realm of the spooky, with poems about werewolves, vampires, trolls, gremlins, and other nightmarish creatures. Prelutsky achieves a masterful range in tone here. He evokes the traditional attributes of the monsters but gives children insight into what it would be like to be a monster. This book is a beautifully executed blend of the macabre and the silly.
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Hooray for Diffendoofer Day - Started by Seuss, finished by Jack Prelutsky, and splendiferously illustrated by Lane Smith. 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' longtime editor explaining how the book came to be and reproducing Dr. Seuss' 1989 original pencil sketches and hand-printed notes for the book - a true find for all Seuss collectors. In this book, 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.

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If Not for the Cat - Seventeen haiku composed by master poet Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by renowned artist Ted Rand ask you to think about seventeen favorite residents of the animal kingdom in a new way. On these glorious and colorful pages you will meet a mouse, a skunk, a beaver, a hummingbird, ants, bald eagles, jellyfish, and many others. Who is who? The answer is right in front of you. But how can you tell? Think and wonder and look and puzzle it out!
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It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles -
..........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!

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It’s Thanksgiving - It's time for turkey! The parade is about to start. The pumpkin pie is in the oven. The whole family is gathered around the table. And everybody wants to pull the wishbone! From Children's Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky comes a scrumptious helping of twelve Thanksgiving poems to enjoy every day of the year!
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Me I Am - Three very different children reveal their individual personalities in a series of visual mini-adventures. Readers meet a mischievous tomboy who would rather roller-skate than wear a frilly dress, an inquisitive nature-loving boy, and an artistic ballerina who puts her own spin on Swan Lake. Finally, in a wild and funny climax, the three collide only to discover a world full of unique and special MEs. With exuberant art and verse, this empowering celebration of individuality and diversity is just right for any young child discovering his or her own self and the fun of being ME!

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New Kid on the Block - Open this book to any page to begin your exploration. Here are poems about things that you may never have thought about before. You'll be introduced to jellyfish stew, a bouncing mouse, a ridiculous dog, and a boneless chicken. You'll learn why you shouldn't argue with a shark, eat a dinosaur, or have an alligator for a pet. You'll meet the world's worst singer and the greatest video game player in history. You'll even find an invitation to a dragon's birthday party... Your friends are invited, too!
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Something Big Has Been Here - A poetry collection to tickle your funny bone, this book features more than 100 original poems and black-and-white drawings from the best-selling team of Jack Prelutsky and James Stevenson. Here are four ferocious tigers, a meat loaf that defies an ax, five flying hot dogs-and many, many more people, animals, and things that are destined to become a part of the lives of everyone who loves to laugh.

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Tyrannosaurus Was a Beast: Dinosaur Poems - Fourteen different dinosaurs are featured in this book of poems by Jack Prelutsky.
....Tyrannosaurus was a Beast
....that had no friends, to say the least.
....It ruled the ancient out-of-doors,
....And slaughtered other dinosaurs.