Jack Prelutsky > Quotes

“I often repeat repeat myself,
I often repeat repeat.
I don't don't know why know why,
I simply know that I I I
am am inclined to say to say
a lot a lot this way this way-
I often repeat repeat myself,
I often repeat repeat.

I often repeat repeat myself,
I often repeat repeat.
My mom my mom gets mad gets mad,
it irritates my dad my dad,
it drives them up a tree a tree,
that's what they tell they tell me me-
I often repeat repeat myself,
I often repeat repeat.

I often repeat repeat myself,
I often repeat repeat.
It gets me in a jam a jam,
but that's the way I am I am,
in fact I think it's neat it's neat
to to to to repeat repeat-
I often repeat repeat myself,
I often repeat repeat.”
― Jack Prelutsky, A Pizza the Size of the Sun

“A poet is not something you become; a poet is something you are.”
― Jack Prelutsky

“You’re nasty and you’re loud,
you’re mean enough for two,
If I could be a cloud,
I’d rain all day on you.”
― Jack Prelutsky

“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....”
― Jack Prelutsky, Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems

“I love you more than applesauce,
than peaches and a plum,
than chocolate hearts and cherry tarts
and berry bubblegum.

I love you more than lemonade
and seven-layer cakes,
than lollipops and candy drops
and thick vanilla shakes.

I love you more than marzipan,
than marmalade on toast,
oh, I love pies of any size,
but I love YOU the most.”
― Jack Prelutsky, It's Valentine's Day

“Then I decided to draw from and on my own imagination, and everything came out perfect.”
― Jack Prelutsky

“There's a leaf clinging fast to
a branch,
though withered, it somehow
holds on,
and a single bird singing its song,
though all of its kindred have gone.

And as long as that little leaf stays,
and as long as that stubborn
bird sings,
then autumn remains in the world,
and winter must wait in the wings.”
― Jack Prelutsky, It's Snowing! It's Snowing!: Winter Poems

“I spied my shadow slinking
up behind me in the night,
I issued it a challenge,
and we started in to fight.

I wrestled with that shadow,
but it wasn't any fun,
I tried my very hardest—
all the same, my shadow won.”
― Jack Prelutsky, The New Kid on the Block

“We Built a Castle Near the Rocks,
we built it out of sand.

Our fortress was an ice-cream box
with turret, tall and grand.

Our men were twigs, our gun were straws
from which we'd sipped at lunch.

We had the best of wars...
till someone's foot

went

CRUNCH!

[Joan Walsh Anglund]”
― Jack Prelutsky, Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young

“It's Halloween! It's Halloween!
The moon is full and bright
and we shall see that can't be seen
on any other night
skeletons and ghosts and ghouls,
grinning goblins fighting duels,
werewolves rising from their tombs,
witches on their magic brooms.
In masks and gowns
we haunt the street
and knock on doors
for trick or treat.
tonight we are
the king and queen,
for oh tonight
it's Halloween!”
― Jack Prelutsky, It's Halloween

“There's a goblin as green
As a goblin can be
Who is sitting outside
And is waiting for me.
When he knocked on my door
And said softly, "Come play!"
I answered, "No thank you,
Now please, go away!"
But the goblin as green
As a goblin can be
Is still sitting outside
And is waiting for me.”
― Jack Prelutsky, It's Halloween

“It's Valentine's Day,
and in the street
there's freezing rain,
and slush, and sleet,
the wind is fierce,
the skies are gray,
I don't think I'll
go out today.

But here inside,
the weather's warm,
there is no trace
of wind or storm,
and you just made
the morning shine—
you said you'd be
my valentine.”
― Jack Prelutsky, It's Valentine's Day

“I'm a basic boneless chicken,
yes, I have no bones inside,
I'm without a trace of rib cage,
yet I hold myself with pride,
other hens appear offended
by my total lack of bones,
they discuss me impolitely
in derogatory tones.

I am absolutely boneless,
I am boneless through and through,
I have neither neck nor thighbones,
and my back is boneless too,
and I haven't got a wishbone,
not a bone within my breast,
so I rarely care to travel
from the comfort of my nest.

I have feathers fine and fluffy,
I have lovely little wings,
but I lack the superstructure
to support these splendid things.
Since a chicken finds it tricky
to parade on boneless legs,
I stick closely to the hen house,
laying little scrambled eggs.”
― Jack Prelutsky, The New Kid on the Block

“A snowflake fell into my hand,
a tiny, fragile gem,
a frosty crystal flowerlet
with petals, but no stem.

I wondered at the beauty
of its intricate design,
I breathed, the snowflake vanished,
but for moments, it was mine.”
― Jack Prelutsky, It's Snowing! It's Snowing!: Winter Poems

“Yubbazubbies, you are yummy,
you are succulent and sweet,
you are splendidly delicious,
quite delectable to eat,
how I smack my lips with relish
when you bump against my knees,
then nuzzle up beside me,
chirping, "Eat us if you please!"

You are juicy, Yubbazubbies,
you are tender, never tough,
you are appetizing morsels,
I can never get enough,
you have captivating flavors
and a tantalizing smell,
a bit like candied apple,
and a bit like caramel.

Yubbazubbies, you are luscious,
you are soft and smooth as silk,
like a dish of chicken dumplings,
or a glass of chocolate milk,
even when I'm hardly hungry,
I am sure to taste a few,
and I'm never disappointed,
Yubbazubbies, I love you.”
― Jack Prelutsky, The New Kid on the Block

“Be glad your nose is on your face"

Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,
for if it were where it is not,
you might dislike your nose a lot.

Imagine if your precious nose
were sandwiched in between your toes,
that clearly would not be a treat,
for you'd be forced to smell your feet.

Your nose would be a source of dread
were it attached atop your head,
it soon would drive you to despair,
forever tickled by your hair.

Within your ear, your nose would be
an absolute catastrophe,
for when you were obliged to sneeze,
your brain would rattle from the breeze.

Your nose, instead, through thick and thin,
remains between your eyes and chin,
not pasted on some other place--
be glad your nose is on your face!”
― Jack Prelutsky

“I am running in a circle
and my feet are getting sore,
and my head is
spinning
spinning
as it's never spun before,
I am
dizzy
dizzy
dizzy.
Oh! I cannot bear much more,
I am trapped in a
revolving
...volving
...volving
...volving door!”
― Jack Prelutsky, The New Kid on the Block

“My Snowman sadly bowed
his head
in March, one sunny day,
and this is what he softly said
before he went away:

'In the middle of December
I was handsome, round,
and tall,
now I hardly can remember
those December days at all.
Oh my stomach's started
shrinking,
I am losing all my form,
and I'm thinking as I'm
shrinking
that I wish it weren't warm.

I can feel my shoulders
stooping
as my body's getting thin,
my nose has started
drooping
and my mouth has lost
its grin,
I am surely getting
shorter,
there is little left
of me,
my head is but a quarter
of the size it used to be.

I am getting hard of hearing
and my vision's little use,
for my ears are disappearing
and my eyes are coming loose.
Through the icy weeks
of winter
I stood prouder than a king,
now I'm thinner than
a splinter,
winter's melting into spring!'”
― Jack Prelutsky, It's Snowing! It's Snowing!: Winter Poems

“Oh, Teddy Bear, dear Teddy,
though you're gone these many years,
I recall with deep affection
how I nibbled on your ears,
I can hardly keep from smiling,
and my heart beats fast and glows,
when I think about the morning
that I twisted off your nose.

Teddy Bear, you didn't whimper,
Teddy Bear, you didn't pout,
when I reached in with my fingers
and I tore your tummy out,
and you didn't even mumble
or emit the faintest cries,
when I pulled your little paws off,
when I bit your button eyes.

Yes, you sat beside me calmly,
and you didn't once protest,
when I ripped apart the stuffing
that was packed inside your chest,
and you didn't seem to notice
when I yanked out all your hair—
it's been ages since I've seen you,
but I miss you, Teddy Bear.”
― Jack Prelutsky, The New Kid on the Block

“United Kingdom”
― Jack Prelutsky, Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast: And Other Tasty Poems

“Australia”
― Jack Prelutsky, Hard-Boiled Bugs for Breakfast: And Other Tasty Poems