A Pizza the Size of the Sun

by Jack Prelutsky, James Stevenson (Illustrator)

Jack Prelutsky is widely acknowledged as the poet laureate of the younger generation. (And many people would happily see him crowned with no age qualification.) The New Kid on the Block and Something Big Has Been Here are household words wherever there are kids. Here is another wondrously rich, varied, clever - and always funny - collection. Meet Miss Misinformation, Swami Gourami, and Gladiola Gloppe (and her Soup Shoppe), and delight in a backwards poem, a poem that ever ends, and scores of others that will be changed, read, and loved by readers of every age. The Prelutsky-Stevenson duo is irresistible. Whether you begin at the beginning or just open the book at random, you won't stop smiling.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Humor, Picture Books, Middle Grade, Fiction, Young Adult

160 pages, Library Binding

First published September 16, 1996

About the author

Jack Prelutsky is an American poet. He attended New York public schools, and later the High School of Music and Art and Hunter College. Prelutsky, who has also worked as a busboy, furniture mover, folk singer, and cab driver, claims that he hated poetry in grade school because of the way it was taught. He is the author of more than 30 poetry collections including Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep< and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. He has also compiled countless children's anthologies comprised of poems of others'. Jack Prelutsky was married to Von Tre Venefue, a woman he had met in France. They divorced in 1995, but Jack remarried. He currently lives in Washington state with his wife, Carolyn. He befriended a gay poet named Espiritu Salamanca in 1997 and both now work together in writing poems and stories for children and adults alike.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of poetry!

My personal favorite was "I Met a Dozen DuhDuhs," because, back in the day, there was a guy who kept calling us from prison with that name. Seriously, my mom or I would answer the phone, and we would hear, "This is a collect call from...Duh Duh...from the ______ City Jail." We didn't know any Duh Duhs; he was apparently trying to call his grandmother, whose number was one digit different than ours. To this day, I wonder what happened to Duh Duh.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky writes poetry for children that speaks to children, rather than just about them. As a result, the poems are silly and full of humor and truth, and never take themselves too seriously (except when they need to, such as in "When I Am Full of Silence," a truly introspective piece). Reading A Pizza the Size of the Sun and A Light in the Attic concurrently, I discovered that I preferred Prelutsky's simpler, more realistic poems. There are still absurdities, like made-up creatures and aliens and physically impossible situations. However, there is less...how should I say, sinister overtones to this collection. In fact, there are quite a few that are gentle and downright touching (I'm looking at you "When I Grow Up"). A fine compilation.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of My kids—ages 10, 7, and 3—enjoy hearing jack prelutsky’s poetry read aloud. And I really enjoy reading it to them.

[Kamilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Pizza the Size of the Sun was a great poetry book that was filled with poems about animals, bugs, and family just to name a few. This book would be great for students in grades 2-4. It’s expressive, entertaining and the students will have a great time listening to the teacher read this book. The whole book was great but while reading I decided to pick my favorite ones. Walking in a Circle was nice because the words were in a circle. I thought it would be a great book for students to read individually because they aren’t reading standard left to right print. Also, Backwards Forwards Silly Rhyme is a great poem because the words are scrambled together and students would have to figure out the words. This would be perfect for group work or me to read to them if they’re having a hard time understanding.
I am Your Mirror Image is another fun one to do in groups or as a read aloud because the words are written as if you were looking in the mirror. I think students would have fun reading the words. A Triangular Tale is written in the shape of a triangle, this is another poem that will get their attention just from looking at it. My Mother Makes me Chicken is an extremely short poem that I can ask students to read just so they can see that not all poems have to be long. You can say what you need in two sentences! I’m All Mixed Up is a fun poem because of how the words are, some words are lowercase letters mixed with uppercase letters this would make reading the poem entertaining. Rat for lunch would be good for groups and having students work on reading with expression. There are a bunch of exclamation marks for the bold part in the poem so I would like to see students using expression while reading. Lastly, A Dizzy Little Duzzle is a poem that will make you dizzy! The print is written in all caps with loops and curves that will have students engaged if they can make it through the whole poem. This book is most definitely one that I will be using in my classroom.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poems is not only humorous but very relatable to students. Prelutsky does a great job sharing different types of poems for students to read. This collection is a great one to share with students when they are learning to write poetry, as the poems are understandable for students and demonstrate how simple it is to write a poem. As I think about teaching poetry next year (we didn't get to it this year), this was the first poetry book to come to mind since I loved it as a kid!

[Alexandria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of hilarious poems ranging from spaghetti seeds to Dan the Invisible man and his spectacular tan. The poems range from a few lines to roughly four short verses. The illustrations are simple and in black and white but they are fun nonetheless. This would be a fun book to read in the classroom over a period of a week or even longer depending on the number of poems being read everyday.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed reading Jack Prelutsky's poems for many years. They are short, whimsical, and humorous.

In honor of the fact that April is National Poertry month, I decided to read this book, along with several others.

I discovered that our local library had an audio CD edition (with ISBN13 9780807204214) of this book available, so I thought i would follow along with the book as I listened.

The CD contains only 24 poems from the book, fewer than half of the poems in the book. But the poems are performed as songs, with accompanying music, and they are entertaining to listen to. Some of the poems have refrains that indicate they were meant to be sung as a song.

I simply paused the CD until I caught up with the next track. It's a long book, but with short poems and lots of cartoonish illustrations, it's a fast read.

Some of my favorite parts (not necessarily the entire poem):

"When I am full of silence,
and no one else is near,
the voice I keep inside of me
is all I want to hear.
I settle in my secret place,
contented and alone,
and think no other thoughts except
the thoughts that are my own." (p. 134)

"We're Loudies, loud Loudies!
We're loud, very loud.
Our overblown voices
stand out in a crowd.
We yell and we yammer,
we bellow and bray,
too dense to admit
that we've nothing to say." (p. 140)

"I hide my dromedary
inside of our garage,
my parents don't suspect it's there...
it's wearing camel-flage." (p. 146)

[Karen]

Ellie read this book in a day for her poetry reading since she finished her other poetry book for school. Jack Prelutsky is a favorite with my kids...krb 2/245/19

[Jamie Humphreys · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read-aloud for my class. LOTS of giggles!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of poems written by Jack Prelutsky. There are a variety of poems; however, I expect that the cover page featuring "A Pizza the Size of the Sun" would capture more students' attention. I believe that this text could be useful in any grade as it can not only teach basic concepts about poetry such as rhymes, patterns, or metaphors but also features out of the box poems such as "Walking in a Circle", where the poem creates a circle. Or "I Am Your Mirror Image", which shows the words as if you're looking at a mirror. This an engaging book across the board!
I could see myself using this book to introduce poetry, to teach specific concepts, or to help students brainstorm ideas to create their own poetry or simply writing in general. The book has great attention to detailed, descriptive words and could help a teacher model for students what rich writing looks like. Honestly, this book could be used in so many different ways for so many different grade levels that it is overwhelming. For example, K-1 classes might list details about their own pizza that they could create/draw. Or you could create a shape poem as a class and in the upper-grade levels then have students create their own.

[Ellie Redman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of poems by Jack Prelutsky and James Stevenson. This would be an amazing book to have in your classroom library because there are so many amazing poems in one book. Something else that this book of poems includes are great illustrations that go with the poems. Students are able to start this book from the beginning or flip to a random page! These poems provide humor and are full of truth! Something that drew me to this book was the cover and the title and I think that if I had this book in my library my students would also be drawn to this book because of the fun cover! I mean who doesn't love pizza?

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book!it is a poem book 1/2 rhyme and 1/2 free verse. my favorite poem was Eye balls for sale! here it goes (for people who havent read it):


Eye balls for sale!
Fresh eye balls for sale!
Delicious,nutritious,
not moldy or stale.
Eye balls from manticores,
orgs,and elves,
fierce dragon eyeballs
that cook by themselfs.

Eyeballs sreved cold!
Eyeballs served hot!
If you like eyeballs,
then this is the spot.
Ladle a glass full,
a bowlful or pail-
Eyeballs!fresh eye balls!
Fresh eyeballs for sale!

And that is all!

[Ace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great poetry collection for kids -- I read it in elementary school, and the illustrations and sheer absurdity of the poems drew me in, along with the end-rhymes. It served as a great introduction to poetry, and I loved having these poems read aloud to me.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book its an inspirational, short, fun, and creative book to all. It can be read to you if you want to hear it. The only suggestion I make is don't make an early reader read it, because some words are made up and most are slightly complicated.

[Abe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treasured childhood book from my childhood. I still reference plenty of these poems with my siblings 20 years later.

[Maggie Banks]

A Pizza in the Sun by Jack Prelutsky is a book that is a collection of fun and engaging poems for readers of all ages. Prelutsky engages readers in a different variety of poems that are silly in some but overall a bunch of fun to read. The interesting thing about Prelutsky’s book is that even though the cover is full of cover, illustrator James Stevenson left off color in his illustrations throughout the different poems in the book. I think this can help students engage more with the poems and all they have to offer and teach students about the components of different poems. The diversity of Prelutsky's writing makes this such an effective book for students to learn about the different characteristics of poetry. Although the topics all differ, you can find humor in everything that Prelutsky creates which makes it such a versatile book to have in your classroom. There are several poems that can be used for a variety of lessons and read alouds to engage with different readers in different grades. I would use this book with third through fifth graders to pick a specific poem and have them recreate it with the style and layout that Prelutsky has but with a topic that they feel passionate about. Students would have to have the same characteristics as the chosen poem does to help teach them about what makes up a poem. With students I would choose to do a read aloud to engaged students in an expressive text that could end up being used as a guided reading book later on after an introduction to it. The different range of vocabulary that this book of poems provides will help supplement the read aloud while students are engaging with it to create a great vocab lesson that would be effective for any grade. This book was a WOW book for me because of how engaged and hooked I was into this book about poems. I know right away that if I was into this book as much as I was, that students will be engaged and get a lot out of this book. I really liked that the poems seemed to take their own shape as they were telling their story and how well Prelutsky engages with the reader's imaginations.

[Michelle Rachitoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Awards the book has received (if any): No awards
2. Appropriate grade level(s): 1st grade to 5th grade
3. Original 3-line summary: This is a collection of poems that vary in length. The illustrations are very simple and in black and white. The students will be able find poems that are well within their reading ability and also find ones that will challenge them as well.
4. Original 3-line review: Each of the poems vary in length, but all the poems will have the students laughing. It is a great way to introduce poems to older students that aren't nursery rhymes. The illustrations are in black and white, so students will be able to focus on the text of the poem instead of the illustrations. This is an excellent addition to classroom library.
5. 2-3 possible in-class uses: The titular poem, "A Pizza the Size of the Sun" would be a great way to introduce this book the students. There can be a "pizza day" in the classroom where students can read the poem as a class while eating pizza and creating their own poems. Pizza can also be tied in with a a mathematics or science lesson, so the theme of pizza can span for the entire day.
Since this is a collection of poems, students in older grades can create their own class poetry book with their own black and white illustrations that they can keep in the classroom library.

[Alissa Cleveland · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. This is a book compiled of lots of silly poems. For example, the very first poem, A Pizza the Size of the Sun, is all about making an extremely large pizza with all kinds of toppings that will take at least a year and a half to bake. Prelutsky has included different techniques of poetry in the book, which makes it a great mentor text for poetry.

2. I thought this was a very entertaining collection of poems. I think students would really enjoy reading this book, either independently or as a class. I also think students have a hard time finding interest in poetry, but this book is so silly it can help spark some interest in poetry for the students.

3. This book could be connected with other poetry books written by Jack Prelutsky. He has written a book titled If Not for the Cat, which is a book full of haiku poems. Students could compare the different poems in A Pizza the Size of the Sun with the haiku poems to see the differences and similarities.

4. “I’m making a pizza the size of the sun, a pizza that’s sure to weigh more than a ton, a pizza too massive to pick up and toss, a pizza resplendent with oceans of sauce”. This poem could be used as a mentor text for using similes in poetry. Using lines such as, “with oceans of sauce”, is comparing pizza sauce with an ocean. This is an interesting and common poetry technique that students should know.

[Steph Lovelady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection is a long-time favorite of my kids, so it was a nostalgic read for us, especially for my now 18-year-old son, who still remembers this poem, which used to reduce him to helpless laughter when he was much younger:

If

If a baseball breaks a window,
does it cause the window pain?
If it rains upon a lion,
do the droplets water mane?
If you try to wring a lemon.
can you hear the lemon peal?
If you dream that you are fishing,
is your dream of fishing real?

If an ogre is unhappy,
does it utter giant sighs?
If you catch a booby snooping,
are you sure the booby pries?
If you bleach a bag of garbage,
do you turn the garbage pale?
If you tell a horse a story,
could it be a pony tale?

If you wish to paint a whistle,
will you make the whistle blue?
If you're stuck inside a chimney,
do you suffer from the flue?
If you sketch an escalator,
did you practice drawing stairs?
If you separate two rabbits,
are you really splitting hairs?

If you're filling in a doughnut,
do you make the doughnut whole?
If you're posing as a muffin,
are you acting out a roll?
If your conversation sparkles,
do you thank your diamond mind?
If you're followed by a grizzly,
do you have a bear behind?

[Alex Fava · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pizza the Size of the Sun is a book of poems written by Jack Prelutsky with illustrations by James Stevenson. This book has over 100 poems, and it is intended for children five and older. The poems in the book cover very different topics, but the majority are goofy and humorous topics that have rhyme schemes. I really enjoyed the poem “Quentin Quimble Quamble Quayle.” This is a poem about a boy who admits that he is a tattletale and will spill any story told to him. I found this poem to be very funny and lighthearted. This particular poem was a bit of a tongue-twister to read aloud, but I think many young readers would find this poem hilarious. I rated this book as a whole a 3/5 because of the humor and rhyme schemes within each poem. The poems have simple rhyme schemes that make reading them aloud entertaining and fun. While there are illustrations for most of the poems, I feel like they do not add much effect. The poems do not have deep meanings, but rather poke fun at different elements of life. There are stories of “duhduhs,” “a fine head of lettuce,” and “the fummawummalummazumms.” While some young readers may find some of these poems challenging to read on their own, I am confident that reading them with an adult aloud would be very entertaining and enjoyable.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the gifts I received for my birthday from my boys, and I've loved reading this to them at bed time. They look forward to it, and I'm a huge fan of Prelutsky's penchant for clever word play and subtle (and not-so-subtle) dad jokery. I also appreciate his creativity for mixing physical artistry with the written word (such as the poems that require you to move the book and the connection between the physical movement, the illustrations, and the words as you read them). The poetry is funny, witty, and sometimes surprisingly serious in a way that can pluck heart strings that have gathered dust over the years. It sparks creativity and imagination, which is a great way to get young brains eased into sleep and primed for dreaming big (though, sometimes, that can inadvertently create excitement that counters the intended effect of getting little guys soothed to sleeping).

Reading his poetry at bed time has become one of my favorite things to do with my boys, though it's bittersweet to have just discovered this fondness this year. Regardless, I appreciate that Prelutsky's works are evergreen and can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age. Looking forward to savoring many more volumes of his work with the kids in the weeks, months, and years ahead!

[Amy Dinoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Awards the book has received (if any):
2. Appropriate grade level(s): First grade to 5th grade
3. Original 3-line summary: A Pizza the Size of the Sun is a wonderful poetry book that is filled with poems about family, animals, food, and bugs just to name a view. Prelutsky's use of irony, humor, and clever use of words makes this book intriguing to the reader. He uses various forms of poetry throughout to keep readers guessing what will come next.
4. Original 3-line review: This book made me laugh and made me realize how humor is such a delight. What caught my eye was the title because I love pizza and the book definitely was even more than I expected in a wonderful, clever, and creative way. I loved the 'Backwards Forwards Silly Rhyme' because it gives you a puzzle to unscramble the words.
5. 2-3 possible in-class uses: Use this to teach students the various poem layouts that you can use when writing poetry, students can work in groups to analyze the poems (especially the 'Backwards Forwards Silly Rhyme' since they have to unscramble words), you can read one poem a day as a read aloud and something for the students to look forward too

[Edna Velasquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awards: None

Grade Level: First through Fifth Grade

Summary: This is a great poetry for students that is filled with poems about family, food, animals, and etc. This poem/book is about a kid who is excited for his pizza to be ready and he goes into detail about all the different toppings that he puts on his pizza. He explains how the pizza is huge and compares it to the sun.

Review: This poem is really cute and I like how intriguing it is with its descriptions of having the readers guess what will come next throughout the stanzas. The title of this book caught my attention because i love pizza! And it was more than what I expected it to be. I like the idea of how it is a giant pizza and how the illustrations are in black and white so students are able to focus more on the text. This book is a great way to introduce poetry to students.

In Class Uses 1. There could be a math lesson by incorporating pizza or have paper plate pizzas and have them count the toppings on the pizza.
2. Have the younger children create their mini pizza using play dough.
3. Have the students create their own personal pizza.

[Abby Pana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Pizza the Size of the Sun, written by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by James Stevenson is a collection of short poems that are funny, clever, light-hearted and perfect for a young audience. Prelutsky poems are guaranteed to get young readers engaged because they are so unique and cover such a wide net. A Pizza the Size of the Sun includes reverso poems, poems that never end, poems about food, poems about animals and more. The diversity of Prelutsky's writing makes this such a versatile book. Although the topics all differ, you can find humor in everything that prelutsky creates. The illustrations that accompany each poem created by James Stevenson are both subtle and simple but manage to bring the words to life. The illustrations on the cover are done in color while the illustrations throughout the book are in n black and white. The one critique I would give this book is that the illustrations would be more successful if they were done in color like the cover was. By adding that color, the mood of each poem and the overall brightness of the Prelutsky's poems would come across clearer.

[Melanie Vacco · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Awards Won: ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice, IRA/CBC Young Adults’ Choice
2.Grade Level: 2-5
3. This is a quirky poem that shows children the true fun of writing poetry. This poem teaches children that you can find inspiration from anywhere.
4. I truly enjoyed this poem. It was adorable, funny, and still presented the correct template of how a poem should be written.
5.In Class Uses: 1)This lesson will be focused on vocabulary. Students first will brainstorm different pizza words using a graphic organizer/spider map. Then, students will work in teams and try to create a pizza A-B-C. These ABC lists will be pooled together to create a pizza dictionary!
2)This will be an opportunity for repeated readings and expressive recitation. Students will be put into groups of four and a stanza will be assigned to each of them from the poem A Pizza the Size of the Sun. They will read the poem 3 times from stanza 1 to 4 and practice their piece smoothly and with expression. This will teach the students word fluency.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

A hilarious collection of poems that taps into the whimsey, humor, imagination, and oddity of childhood. Great for those who enjoy Shel Silverstein or as an introduction to poetry. These poems are wonderful to read aloud and are paired with fun drawings from James Stevenson that really bring them to life.

Throughout the silliness, there are also some heartwarming poems thrown in. Common images and themes that emerge are animals, food, dealing with siblings, and people embracing their weirdness.

This collection is especially fun for word-lovers as Prelutsky works in interesting puzzles such as lines in reverse, the meanings of homophones, mixed up letters, and poems printed backwards.

A creative collection, sure to delight.

[Dayna Stechel · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Awards: none

2. Appropriate grade level(s): Prek through fourth grade

3. Original 3-line summary: This book is a poem turned into a story about a kid who is so excited for his pizza to be ready. He goes into detail about all the different toppings he put on the pizza. He explains the pizza to be huge and “the size of the sun.”

4. Original 3-line review: I like this poem book is a cute, light hearted story to use with the different grades. I think they will all like the idea that it has to do with a giant pizza. It’s good the poem isn’t too long for the younger one’s attention span, but it’s a good length to get them started.

5. 2-3 possible in-class uses:
• with the younger grades, you can have them make their own little versions of the pizza using play-doh for art
• You can have paper pizzas and use them during a math lesson by having the students count the toppings on the pizza.
• Have them draw their own pizzas.

[Ashley Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book written by Jack Prelutsky, a well-known author of children's poetry, is a collection of poems that will keep any reader entertained. If you have a group of students not interested in poetry, I would highly suggest introducing this book to your class. Each poem along with the illustrations are truly imaginative. From a circular poem that never ends to a poem about a furry, scaley elephant, there is something in here for every reader. This books would be great for K-2, but older elementary students will also find it amusing. They will have fun trying to read the poem "Backwards Forwards Silly Rhyme" that is written completely backward.

Since this is a collection of poems, you could continually refer back to this book depending on your lesson. If teaching about rhyming patterns, the poem named after the title is a great example of an AABB pattern. You could also use this poem to teach about other literary topics such as descriptive language.

[Lauren Rizzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awards: ALA Booklist Editors' Choice IRA/CBC Young Adults' Choice Award.

Grade Level(s): Kindergarten-5th grade.

Summary: "A Pizza the Size of the Sun" is a book filled with a variety of poems. It is filled with funny and witty characters along with a lot of rhyme and repetition. Along with awesome and different poems, there is plenty of amazing black and white illustrations as well.

Review: I like this book of poems because the poems are all different. Each poem has different lengths, some are in a circle form and some are even written backwards. The styles of the poems make it very unique and creative. Children find it very interesting.

In Class Uses:
1. Create pizza as a class.
2. Have students do a math activity using different toppings as manipulatives.
3. Using some of the poems as a vocabulary lesson.

[Gabriella Pugliese]

Summary:

"A Pizza the Size of the Sun" is a book filled with a collection of poems. This poetry book is filled with quirky characters along with a lot of rhyme and rhythm. Along with awesome and different poems, there is plenty of amazing illustrations as well.

Review:

Children will love these different poems that are in this book. I love the fun twist on poetry that Prelutsky has. All ages are sure to love this poetry book.

Other book(s) to pair / connect this book to:

"Take Me Out of the Bathtub" by Alan Katz is another book that is filled with silly songs which can be related to poetry such as the poems included in this book.

Quote from the book:

"I'm topping my pizza with mountains of cheese,
with acres of peppers, pimentos, and peas,
with mushrooms, tomatoes, and sausage galore,
with every last olive they had at the store"