Jack Prelutsky

Author Jack Prelutsky and illustrator Carin Berger, who previously collaborated on the wonderful Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems, return in this second picture book collection of poems featuring portmanteau creatures. Sixteen delightful poems, full of clever wordplay, and nimbly constructed so as to simply trip off the tongue when read aloud, are paired with enchantingly beautiful multi-media artwork, with many illustrations featuring Joseph Cornell-inspired dioramas. Here we show more have the eponymous celestial Stardines, the blustery Bluffaloes, the hard-working Chormorants, the loose-lipped Tattlesnakes, and the ineffectual Plandas, among many others. In an amusing jest, given that this is a collection of poems, the book closes with the Bardvarks:

"BARDVARKS think they're poets
And persist in writing rhyme.
Their words are uninspired
And a total waste of time.
But BARDVARKS don't know this,
So not only do they write
With unbearable pretension—
They incessantly recite.

BARDVARKS have no talent
For composing simple verse.
They don't improve with practice
And in fact are getting worse.
Undeterred, they keep on writing
And reciting every day.
That's why BARDVARKS are a problem—
You cant' make them go away."

Fortunately for the reader, Prelutsky's poetry far exceeds the Bardvark's, and his writing makes Stardines Swim High Across the Sky and Other Poems an absolute pleasure to read, just as Berger's artwork makes it a joy to peruse. I was particularly struck by the illustrations here, and as a lover of Joseph Cornell's found-object art boxes, was thrilled to see the recognition of his influence, in Berger's dedication to him, at the beginning of the book. This is one I would strongly recommend to young poetry lovers, as well as to fellow admirers of the artist. show less

“The New Kid on the Block” by Jack Prelutsky is a wonderful set of poems that I adore. I love the silly nature of the poetry. Topics include wondering is oysters sneeze, being glad one’s nose is not on one’s face, and a wolf visiting the Laundromat. I think these are really fun and original ideas for poems. I also like that little black and white pictures were included beside each poem. This adds to the playful nature of the poetry collection, because the cartoons are simple yet show more humorous. I think, as a collection, the theme is surprise. The main poem, about the new kid in town, is a surprising poem with a twist at the end—the bully is a girl! The other poems are surprising in that they are such strange and unusual topics for poems. That is what makes them so fun to read! show less

This gem of a book is filled with unimaginably gross concepts (undoubtedly means kids will find it hysterical) described in catchy rhyme and rhythm. As we follow Awful Ogre through his daily routine, the fantastical illustrations depict each story detail and perfectly accompany the text. Rich vocabulary throughout make this a treasure trove for word study. Another application would be to use it as a character study of Awful Ogre--many details of his personality are given explicitly and show more others are possible to infer. show less

Jack Prelutsky - whose many collections of poetry for young people include A Pizza the Size of the Sun and The New Kid on the Block - delivers seventeen new poems in this lovely picture-book, each one featuring a very unusual creature. Whether it is the titular umbrellaphant - a pachyderm with an umbrella growing from the end of his trunk - or the ever-timely clocktopus, these animal-object combinations are a hoot! Prelutsky's poems are well crafted - full of fun, and with an engaging rhythm show more - making Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant an excellent selection for reading aloud:

"The Ballpoint Penguins, black and white,
Do little else but write and write.
Although they've nothing much to say,
They write and write it anyway."

Just as engaging is Carin Berger's gorgeous collage artwork, with its use of fabrics, Victorian-looking cutouts, and handmade papers. The umbrellaphant is partially composed of paper with what looks like Hindi printing on it (something in the Devanāgarī alphabet, anyway), while the Lynx of Chain has a torso made up of (yes) a cut-out image of a chain. After loving Berger's artwork in The Little Yellow Leaf, I am delighted to discover more of it, especially as it paired with such a fun text! Thanks for pointing me toward this one, Kathryn - it's a winner! show less