Jack Prelutsky
Jack Prelutsky
By: Ayla Managan and Vanessa Oetken
•Born September 8,1940 Brooklyn NY
•Was an artsy student who studied voice at the
High School of Music and Art in N. Y.
•He attended Hunter College in N.Y. but didn’t
finish because he wanted (to become a
beatnik)
•Like many students he did not like poetry: a
teacher “ left me with the impression that
poetry was the literary equivalent of liver. I was
told it was good for me, but I wasn’t
convinced.” (Jack Prelutsky-Scholastic)
“…Prelutsky spent six months drawing imaginary
animals in ink and watercolor. One evening, he
wrote two dozen short poetry verses to accompany
each drawing. A friend encouraged him to show
them to an editor, who loved his poems (although
not his artwork!) and urged him to keep writing.
Prelutsky listened and he is still busy writing.” (his
website)
His first book was A Gopher in the Garden, and
Other Animal Poems-published in 1967-age 27
School Library Journal: “….Expanding the cast of
creatures beyond dragons to include trolls, witches,
ogres, wizards, and giants, this 17-poem collection
overflows with energy, tongue-in-cheek wit, rich
vocabulary, and rollicking rhyme and meter. The oil
and gouache paintings on gesso backgrounds are
equally playful, as each gold-bordered, double-page
spread adds more layers of meaning to the words.
…”
Age 4-7
Kirkus Reviews: “Prelutsky's verse is as
rhythmic as ever and full of child-pleasing
grotty humor, with crotchety witches and
grubby goblins fully present. The first poem, "I
Told the Wizard to His Face," sets the tone as a
bratty boy regales a wizard with variations of
the word fraud: "Since then I've been but two
feet tall/and have a hamster's head." Sís
captures the spirit of the book perfectly in his
spreads framed with fabulous borders. The
settings range from modern urban to mythical
or medieval. Favorite pieces will be "Mother
Ogre's Lullaby" and the title poem, but every
poem will be relished, come Halloween or any
time of the year.”
School Library Journal: “-Prelutsky introduces
the curious inhabitants of Scranimal Island
through his skillful and captivating poems. The
creatures, such as the Mangorilla and
Orangutangerine, are each a cross between an
animal and a fruit, vegetable, or flower, and
behave accordingly. For instance, "On a bump
beside a road/Sits a lowly
POTATOAD,/Obviously unaware/Of its own
existence there./On its coarse and warty
hide,/It has eyes on every side,/Eyes that fail,
apparently,/To take note of what they see."
Sis's illustrations are a wonderful combination
of the eerie and humorous (readers might be
reminded of his fantastical island in Komodo!
[Greenwillow, 1993]), and give children a visual
clue as to the creature's elements, in case they
haven't figured it out yet……”
Grade 2-5
School Library Journal:
“…Perfect for reading aloud or
alone, it will be reached for
again and again by teachers,
parents, kids, librarians, and
anyone else who likes poems
that make them chuckle. As a
matter of fact, this book should
be required reading for those
out there who claim they don't
like poetry. If you can only afford
one poetry collection this year,
make it this one.” (Carrie
Schadle, New York Public
Library)
Ages: 5-11
Is there anything you’ve always wished you could achieve and haven’t accomplished
yet?
“Singing the “Star Spangled Banner” on opening day of the World Series at Safeco Field!”
Three wishes are an integral part of many children’s stories. If you had
three wishes, what would they be?
“I’d love to sing like Pavarotti, paint like Picasso and dance like Fred Astaire.
Unfortunately, I dance like Pavarotti, sing like Picasso and paint like Fred
Astaire.”
Do you now have or have you ever had any other kind of “job”?
“Since becoming an author, my job has been writing and traveling around the country talking
about poetry. Before that, I was a cab driver, furniture mover, folk singer, potter, photographer,
singer, actor, and a few dozen other things.”
What advice do you have for young writers?
“READ! READ! READ! and WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! Keep a journal and write down things you
see, hear and think about. Practice writing stories and poems. Keep your eyes and ears open
and PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!”
All from his website
Currently or Recently
•Jack lives with his wife Carolyn in Seattle Washington (they are between
dogs…)
•He travels and spends a lot of his time presenting poems to children in
schools and libraries in the United States-you can usually see him carrying
around a notebook and two pencils
•In 2006 He was given the honor of being the first Children’s Poet Laureate:
Consultant in Children’s Poetry by the Poetry Foundation
http://www.jackprelutsky.com/