Jack Prelutsky!

Poet Extraordinaire!

By: Erin Flynn and Emily Zmek

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All About Jack

He was born September 8, 1940 in New York.

When he was young he took piano and voice lessons and was a regular in school shows.

“I have always enjoyed playing with words, but I had no idea that I would be a writer. There was a time when I couldn’t stand poetry!”

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While attending a Bronx grade school he developed a healthy dislike for poetry due to a teacher who “left me with the impression that poetry was the literary equivalent of liver. I was told it was good for me, but wasn’t convinced.”

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Before he was an author he was a cab driver, furniture mover, folk singer, potter, photographer, singer, actor, and a few other things.

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“When I was a young man, I discovered poetry again and it changed my life.”

When he was 24 he spent 6 months drawing in ink and watercolor. One evening he wrote 2 dozen short poetry verses to accompany each drawing. A friend encouraged him to show an editor, who ended up loving his poems (but not his art work) . The editor published his first book of humorous verse, A Gopher in the Garden, in 1967 and urged him to keep writing. He’s been an author ever since. • He now lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife Carolyn. They have been married since 1979. He has authored more than 50 books!

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Quick Fun Facts!

Works in a studio in his house where he not only has his desk, computer, and other usual author/writer type things but also his frog collection and an assortment of toys.

He tries to write everyday. The question he is asked most is “Where does he get his ideas?” To which he answers “Everywhere!” The one thing that he really wants to do is to sing the “Star Spangeld Banner” on opening day of the World Series at Safeco Field. He loves Baseball! He use to put sports cards of himself in his responses back to fan mail. His 3 wishes from a genie would be to “sing like Pavarotti, paint like Picasso, and dance like Fred Astaire.” He enjoys photography, carpentry, creating games, collages, and traveling. He collects art, children’s poetry books, and frog miniatures.

Loves foods that start with “ch”- chili, cherries, cheese, chicken, chips, chocolate… Best advice for young writers…. “READ! WRITE! And PRACTICE!”

Animal Poems

• • • • A Gopher in the Garden and Other Animal Poems – "I figured that was it," Prelutsky said. "Everybody has one book in them, right? I thought that was mine.

Toucans Two and Other Poems The Pack Rat’s Day and Other Poems Zoo Doings

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Jack’s Scarier Side

Nightmares : Poems to Trouble Your Sleep – "A dozen original poems on the `horrifying' subjects (ghouls, vampires, skeletons, etc.) so dear to many young hearts....Your steel-nerved patrons will appreciate both poems and pictures."--School Library Journal.

The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight: More Poems to Trouble Your Sleep

Enjoying the Holidays J.P. Style!

“Jack Prelutsky, takes on the wonder and absurdity of the holidays in this collection of his poetry. From the romance of Valentine's Day to the thrills of Halloween, from the stuffing (and over-stuffing) of Thanksgiving to the joy of Christmas, Jack captures these milestones of childhood with delightfully silly poems.” Book List

When Daddy Carves the Turkey

Taken from Jack Prelutsky’s book “It’s Thanksgiving” “When Daddy carves the turkey

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it is really quite a sight, I know he tries his hardest, but he never does it right. He makes a fancy show of it before he starts to carve, and stabs in all directions while we’re certain that we’ll starve. He seems to take forever as we sit and shake our heads, by the time he’s finished slicing he’s reduced the bird to shreds. He yells as loud as thunder just before he’s finally thorough, for when Daddy carves the turkey, Daddy carves his finger too.”

Other Theme Books

Connecting theme of what to do on a rainy day. Connecting theme of things to do in the winter.

Connecting theme of what to do in your room while your parents think you’re sleeping.

“What I Did Last Summer” Connecting theme of adventures kids have in the summer.

Travel the World With Jack

From Publishers Weekly

Prelutsky's nonsense verse is simple and tongue-twisting by turns as he carries his readers along on fantastic flights of fancy "from Seattle/ to the city of New York." Kids will enjoy the stops along the way to visit "Timble Tamble Turkey," "Jilliky, Jolliky, Jelliky, Jee" and "Hannah Banana,". The verse is made all the more engaging by the flowing full-color pictures by Williams. The book vibrates with these paintings that can create a mood, communicate a feeling or expand on the zaniness of Prelutsky's characters and situations .

From Publishers Weekly

Like the previous Ride a Purple Pelican , this collection contains a miscellany of gaily illustrated rhymes that trip lightly on the tongue. 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. Prelutsky's humor and pleasantly quirky view of the world are well matched by Williams's full-page lively illustrations that heighten the book's boisterous fun.

Other Titles

From School Library Journal

A dinosaur book collaboration between Arnold Lobel and Jack Prelutsky sounds almost too good to be true. And that's the case with this book, which has good intentions but doesn't quite carry through with them. Prelutsky's verse is the detractor here. True, some of the poems are rollicking and fun, but for many of these poems, much of the verse seems confined by the subject matter, as if Prelutsky were afraid to let his imagination enhance what he considers factual information. Sadly, some of the information he reiterates about dinosaurs is out of date. Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library "The catchy rhythms, humorous drawings, and deliciously alarming subjects make a splendid book." --

- The Horn Book

"Fresh and funny." --

Booklist --

Dr. Seuss's evil twin

, January 27, 2000 By

Gail

(Virginia, United States of America) See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sheriff of Rottenshot (Library Binding)

I love this book. I read it as a child and have adored it ever since. People have described me as "macabre" and "twisted" with a cynical sense of humor but I don't think that's the case here. This book is witty and hysterical. Grown ups deserve to have "childish fun" without actually having to read children's books. While a child certainly could read this book, adults can appreciate it even more! All you adults who want to have fun, Read this book! It is a laugh RIOT !

Golden Border Books

• • • • The Dragons Are Singing Tonight Monday’s Troll The Gargoyle on the Roof Scranimals

Ogre Books

Awful Ogre’s Awful Day Awful Ogre Running Wild

Collections!

All of them are Illustrated by James Stevenson

“A wealth of funny new verse from a favoritepoet... Hilarious black and white art. Another winner from this talented pair." --

Kirkus Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

If this anthology of light verse and black-and-white drawings from Prelutsky and Stevenson were a movie, it would be titled The New Kid on the Block Part II. In format, subject matter and tone, fans of the earlier volumes will rejoice in finding more of the same. These are not poems to savor for their metaphoric language or depth of thought, but are instead frivolous, rib-tickling verses Stevenson's waggish drawings

From Publishers Weekly

Poetry's bad boys are back again, teaming up to take another swipe at stuffiness. Prelutsky's predilection for playfulness percolates throughout this collection of slyly subversive rhymes, and he couldn't ask for a better partner in crime than Stevenson, whose droll, minimalist sketches so enlivened the duo's previous escapades . Once again Prelutsky demonstrates a robust appreciation of the absurd and an uncanny knack for turning every possible subject on its head. Here his verse ranges from the short and sweet ("My mother makes me chicken,/ her chicken makes me cough./ I wish that when she made it,/ she took the feathers off") to poems of Jabberwockian silliness (the entry that begins " 'I'm ceiling fad!' a money boned./ 'Alas!' a carrot pride" is just one example). provide half the fun in this comic collection that skips lightly on the mind and tongue.

Collections Continued

From Publishers Weekly

Following A Pizza the Size of the Sun, the reigning czars of silliness are back on the warpath, wreaking poetic havoc with yet another deliciously sly volume. Prelutsky trips the light verse fantastic across territory that's familiar yet fresh. He gleefully descends to the depths of gross-out humor ("Worm puree, oh hooray!/ You're the dish that makes my day"), engages in nimble wordplay ("There's no present like the time," he notes in "I Gave My Friend a Cuckoo Clock") and once again proves himself king of the final one-two punch (a knight confesses to ineffectuality in an ode closing with this couplet: "My name is famed through all the land/ I'm called Sir Lunchalot”).

* 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

By Jack Prelutsky

A Sample Poem

There’s a New Kid on the Block

There’s a new kid on the block and boy, that kid is tough. That new kid punches hard. That new kid plays real rough. That new kid’s big and strong, with muscles everywhere. That new kid tweaked my arm. That new kid pulled my hair. That new kid likes to fight and picks on all the guys. That new kid scares me some. That new kid’s twice my size. That new kid stomped my toes. That new kid swiped my ball. That new kid’s really bad. I don’t care for HER at all.

Poet Laureate

• • • • • It happened in 2006 He was the first recipient of the Children’s Poet Laureate award The award was made to raise awareness Lifelong love of poetry grows if it is started at a young age His tenure lasted two years 2006-2008 He got 25,000 and began a consultant for the Poetry Foundation during his tenure http://princewilliam.lib.overdrive.com/53D6EFD6-5B83-4AA9-BDD5 F51AE188CB95/10/381/en/ContentDetails.htm?id={8ADF84DB-C1C6-43A5-B4F5-84DEA9040453} http://www.poetryfoundation.org/foundation/release_092706.html

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During his reign as Children’s Poet Laureate

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders In Aunt Giraffe’s Green Garden Good Sports The Wizard The Swamps of Sleethe

How to Write a Poem…. Jack Prelutsky Style!

“ This book gives the reader the inside scoop on writing poetry and shows you how you can turn your own experiences and stories about your family, pets, and friends into poems” Selected poems along with “poemstarts” (poems started by Jack, but the reader gets to finish!)

Other Works By Jack

• • • • The Beauty of the Beast: Poems from the Animal Kingdom If Not for the Cat Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant Imagine That! Poems of Never-Was

The Random House Book of Poetry for Children

Selected Poems by Jack Prelutsky

Hooray For Diffendoofer Day!

The book is based on verses and sketches created by Seuss before his death in 1991, and was expanded to book length and completed by writer Prelutsky and illustrator Smith for publication in 1998.

The story surrounds a school that is well liked by its students notably because of its many eccentric teachers. However, the students must make a good grade on a standardized test or else they will be sent to an adjacent school, which requires uniforms to be worn and is incredibly dull.

Our Response

• • • • • • • He uses a lot of alliteration and rhyme in his poems Poems are really good to read aloud Great for People of all ages He has worked with so many different illustrators throughout the years He has written over 70 books, by his count He has been a published author for 42 years http://www.jackprelutsky.com/flash/index.html

Jack on Arthur

• • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZA4jyVXi7o A Sissy My Sister Is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jllw_m2tjX0 Boring (45th second) Today Is Very

THE END!