The New Kid on the Block

Have you ever considered the advantages to having your nose on your face? Or what life is like for a boneless chicken? Or lamented a night of homework? Then this book is for you! Jack Prelutsky’s collection 107 poems are silly, catchy, and classic. Readers bounce from poem to poem, carried along by James Stevenson’s squiggly illustrations. Though this is a fast read, Prelutsky’s odd characters, like the Underwater Wibblies and Drumpp the Grump, will keep you giggling.

These quirky poems will entertain readers both young and old. Prelutsky’s poems are made for reading aloud, and audiences will enjoy listening to the made-up names and punchlines. Stevenson’s artwork, which can also be found in The New Yorker, fits perfectly with show more the singsong style of the poems. The black and white drawings wobble and flutter around the text, interacting with it. Prelutsky’s work, combined with Shel Silverstein’s, makes for an excellent introduction into the world of poetry for young readers. show less

I had to buy this for my niece after I found myself starting a poem from the book and not remembering how to finish it. Imagine that - it's been at least 16 years since I had this book, yet I could still recite stanzas at will. How frustrating it was not to have all of them!

Jack Prelutsky is one of the best children's poets out there. You MUST have this book - indoctrinate your kid in the joys of reading poetry aloud when they're young, and you'll never have to unteach them "poetry is boring" when they're older.

This poem is excellent as most readers assume that the "new kid" is a guy, beating up everyone else and being a bully. However, the poem flips it around and the new kid is actually a girl. I think the message in this poem is not to judge a person by their actions, and also different genders can act like each other. Stereotypes of gender are not always correct. This poem stretches the mind of readers and helps them to read outside the box, imagining other scenarios that are possible from the words written.

“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 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 show more poems. That is what makes them so fun to read! show less

A poetry book that has it all! There are poems for all different interest levels from people, jellyfish, dinosaurs and bizarre creatures. Elementary students will find these poems easy to read, silly and playful. There are around 100 poems in this book and some have illustrations too. Read this book to enjoy fun word play and laugh.

Well done poems in the same vein as Shel (Where the Sidewalk Ends). I had to knock it down a point because they all started to sound the same. Too many done in the same style with the same meter and rhyme scheme. The voice was too familiar. Shel seems to have a better variety in his books with many more random lengths included.

But it wasn't enough to knock it completely down. If I find the book on sale I would buy it and I gladly take it for free and read poems from it here and there. My kids enjoyed reading poems outloud while we were driving. In fact, I got the book because my son loves it and in the past has read me selections. So, for sure a hit with the kids.

I rate this book a five. I gave it a five because this book is a two for one special. You get funny illustrations and learn poems at the same time. My thought on this book is that it makes poetry fun. I can remember when I was growing up reading some of the Shel Silverstein poems and enjoying them so I’m sure students today will enjoy this book as well. For content area instruction of course I would use this to introduce poetry and teach about the many features of poetry such as the different types of rhythms, imagery, symbolism, etc.