The New Kid on the Block CD

by Jack Prelutsky

From beloved and bestselling poet Jack Prelutsky come over 100 hilarious poems about strange creatures and people—from jellyfish stew to a bouncing mouse, to the very unexpected new kid! For fans of Shel Silverstein and Louis Sachar's Wayside School series. “The illustrations bring the frivolity to a fever pitch.”— School Library Journal. Open this book to any page to begin your exploration. Here are poems about things that you may never have thought about before. You'll be introduced to jellyfish stew, a bouncing mouse, a ridiculous dog, and a boneless chicken. You'll learn why you shouldn't argue with a shark, eat a dinosaur, or have an alligator for a pet. You'll meet the world's worst singer and the greatest video game player in history. You'll even find an invitation to a dragon's birthday party....Your friends are invited too. “It’s the author’s joyous sense of the absurd that propels the reader from page to page.”— Horn Book  (starred review)  

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Humor, Picture Books, Fiction, Juvenile, Middle Grade

Audio CD

First published January 1, 1984

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

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The New Kid on the Block was my all-time favourite book of poetry to read to students in my classes. I usually chose to read a poem at the end of the day. It was almost a guarantee that they would go out the door laughing.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was doing an online search for books through my local library, and this one randomly popped up. I loved seeing dogs on the cover, and thought this would be a fun one, so I ordered it.

It reminded me a "tiny" bit of Shel Silverstein from Where the Sidewalk Ends (Review Here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) or A Light in the Attic (Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...).

Still…

There is much to appreciate about the author’s poems here. They are clever, somewhat silly, but definitely fun for kids.

And…

The rhyme and rhythm make them accessible to young readers.

“I’ve got an itch, a wretched itch,
No other itch could match it,
It itches in the one spot which
I cannot reach, to scratch it.”

It truly is a very playful selection that will be fun for families to read together, or kids to indulge with on their own.

Interest level: Ages 5-10 – Grade level: Kindergarten – 5th grade

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Prelutsky, but I am henceforth a devoted fan! This book sat on our shelves forever and still looks brand new, although it must date from our daughters' childhood. Somehow, it was missed. Thankfully, spotting a rhyme endorsing this author on my friend Richard's review of another of Prelutsky's book, I recalled this one and then the enthusiasm from other GRs friends about this author told me to READ it RIGHT AWAY! I am very glad I did.

It was a fun quick read. I will be on the lookout for other books by this talented author. Thanks Richard, Laura and Fonch!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember reading this in elementary school and liking it a lot.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children’s Literature
Crystal Rodriguez

Title: The New Kid on the Block Poetry: Primary
Author: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrator: James Stevenson
Place of Publication: New York, New York
Date: 1984 Pages: 159

Oh this is such a fun book! I remember reading it or having it read to me as a child. In fact, starting tomorrow, I plan to read a poem each day at circle time to my classroom. I know they would laugh and laugh! The poem I plan to read tomorrow is “Bleezer’s Ice Cream.” This book appeals to a wide age group I believe as it is humorous to even me as an adult.
I found the rhythm to be quite smooth and eloquent as Jack moves from line to line. His choices of rhyming are predictable and flow also smoothly. He chooses topics that are naturally humorous to young children and make light of little oddities that occur with youth. The illustrations are a great way to illuminate the poetry giving even more humor and wit to the text. Each poem has a sketch in black and white typically brief, but telling.
There is also an evidence of originality and creativity as this author has very different themes throughout the book. It is hard to put the book down because you are intrigued and curious to discover what he will write about next. I have enjoyed reading poetry today as it can be so light-hearted and fun. I have even read aloud to my husband the poems I think are so neat. He reluctantly listens as he watches the Chief’s game! That’s what this book does though; it makes you want to share the literature and enjoy it with someone.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a poem book so I can not really explain what happens.

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outside of Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss, one would be hard-pressed to come up with an American composer of juvenile poetry who was more a fixture over the course of his or her long career than Jack Prelutsky. His books were brought to life by some of the finest illustrators of his day, a veritable Hall of Fame of the art form including Victoria Chess, Brandon Dorman, James Stevenson (illustrator of The New Kid on the Block), Dan Yaccarino, Peter Sís, Paul O. Zelinsky, Chris Raschka, Garth Williams, and Arnold Lobel, collaborators he conspired with diligently to set the perfect tone for his work in word and image. Jack Prelutsky guest-starred on the classic PBS animated television series Arthur in the episode I'm a Poet, which first aired May 19, 1997, reciting a couple of his famous poems from The New Kid on the Block in his role as judge at a kids' poetry contest. But I think what lifted Jack Prelutsky to rarified air among his poet contemporaries is the appealing mix of comedy and deeper meaning in his work. One never knows which way his poems are going to turn until the last line, so there's a sense of unexpectedness to his verses. Jack Prelutsky writes humor well, as effectively as Shel Silverstein at his best, but positioned amidst the laughs are islands of personal affirmation, literary substance that reinforces the rest of the book and allows it to stand taller. I've also noticed that few—if any—children's poets utilize vocabulary like Jack Prelutsky. He ransacks the lexicon for witty, applicable rhymes to keep his poems pithy and rhythmic, but the super-advanced terms usually define themselves easily by the context they're used in, a plus for his unique methodology of complex word integration. The introduction of high-level vocabulary is as painless as possible, and that means learning takes place while the laughs arrive in droves. No matter your age or education, The New Kid on the Block will enhance your grasp of the American language, and that's good for everyone.

"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."

—I Spied My Shadow Slinking, P. 72

The New Kid on the Block contains too many poems to discuss each individually, but several deserve special mention. Jellyfish Stew is the composition Jack Prelutsky starts reading at the end of his Arthur episode, to a crowd of excited third-graders who can't get enough of his clever verses. Clara Cleech is about juggling, so what's not to like? If I were going to commit one poem in this anthology to memory, it would probably be Clara Cleech. I Am Running in a Circle is the amusing misadventure of a boy caught in a revolving door, but captures the feeling of being stuck in any situation, going around and around in circles, helpless to get untracked. An Unassuming Owl is one of the book's funniest offerings, a mixture of wordplay and goodnatured ribbing of grammatical sticklers. We find deeper substance in Ah! A Monster's Lot is Merry, a goopy swamp creature's raucous ode to the joys of antisocial living if it means we're allowed to be gross, unkempt, and play by our own rules without having to impress anyone. The reader is left to decide for him- or herself if it's better to have friends or live entirely as one pleases. I mustn't forget to praise Homework! Oh, Homework!, a cathartically expressive rant against the evils of mounds of unwanted homework being dumped in the laps of kids every day. Who wants to go home after clocking seven or more hours at school and then put in a few more hours doing the same sort of assignments? I think we all can empathize with the sentiment of Homework! Oh, Homework!

My Dog, He Is an Ugly Dog is a lovely composition concealed beneath the topsoil of silliness. A boy runs down a litany of his dog's many faults, only to conclude the dog is the perfect pet for him. When we acknowledge the flaws in our friends and ourselves, we're free to love without unfair expectation, unconditionally, and that's the rich soil which grows relationships of value. Yubbazubbies (wow, what a title!) is a heartsong to the sweet, scrumptious Yubbazubbies that run around everywhere, flavorful little fruits irresistible to the taste buds. Yubbazubbies are a treat too tantalizing to turn down when they come your way. You can't blame a person for trying a few, right? We're only human. In Gussie's Greasy Spoon, the narrator outlines every way the titular restaurant fails its customers with its invariably stomach-turning food options. Everything about the place is disgusting...so why does the narrator return for lunch every day? I suppose our lack of judgment in indulging our own unseemly habits deserves no less ridicule, going back to sup on the same queasy fare day after day, settled into old, destructive habits and lacking momentum to escape the rut. Gussie's Greasy Spoon leaves us with something to consider in that regard.

The Cherries' Garden Gala showcases some of the tightest, smartest rhymes in The New Kid on the Block, a cheerful rundown of the festivities when an assortment of fruits and vegetables in the mood to celebrate convene to dance the night away in toast to the harvest's success. There are more coy puns in this poem than I have room to cite: "the Ginger seemed well-bred," "the Radishes grew hoarse", "the Grapes began to whine," "the Rhubarb got to fighting," "the Sage repeated maxims," and on and on with myriad punny delights. The Cherries' Garden Gala might be the most fun you'll have in this book. An Alley Cat with One Life Left circles back to more substantive stanzas, as an alley cat lists the unfortunate ways he's squandered his first eight lives. There's no leeway for a misstep now with only one life in reserve, but he isn't bitter about it. "I'm an alley cat with one life left, and glad that life is mine." The duration of his final life is by no means guaranteed, but the alley cat will appreciate it, take care of it, and live it up while his heart still beats. An Irritating Creature presents the ballad of a sketchy, unpleasant living thing that won't leave the narrator alone. He sends it farther away each time he ejects it from his home, desperate to be rid of the creature's unsavory companionship, but nothing does the trick. "It appears I can't evict it, though I truly wish I could, it's entirely too tenacious—I suspect it's here for good." Wow, does that ever describe some of the personal problems that plague us, issues we wish we could bring under control but instead seem to dictate to us. Not every irritating creature can be packed up and stowed on a rocket destined for deep space. In Today Is Very Boring, we have another poem recited by Jack Prelutsky during his appearance on Arthur, the ho-hum discourse of a boy who decries the dullness of his life even as once-in-a-lifetime occurrences humorously pop up all around him. If we're dead-set on writing our life off as drab and uninteresting, how are we going to change our mindset when excitement knocks on the door? It would be a pity not to realize how incredible the world around us every day is simply because we're conditioned to ignore its wonders, but we're all guilty of that to some degree. We can take a vital cue from Today Is Very Boring and apply it to our lives forthwith.

"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."

—Oh, Teddy Bear, PP. 110-111

Oh, Teddy Bear is, to me, the best poem in The New Kid on the Block, the main reason I have to round my two-and-a-half star rating up, if not consider giving this book the full three stars. The sentiments of Oh, Teddy Bear are so simple, even comically framed, but they tug at the heartstrings like nothing else in this collection. When I think back to The New Kid on the Block, Oh, Teddy Bear is the poem I'll remember and get tears in my eyes at the thought of. Ballad of a Boneless Chicken relates the experiences of a chicken born without a skeleton, a chicken who wishes she could get important things done in life, but lacks the internal calcified system to do anything about it. "I have feathers fine and fluffy, I have lovely little wings, but I lack the superstructure to support these splendid things." How many times have we felt like the boneless chicken, filled with grand dreams of conquest and accomplishment but without the self-discipline or courage to make the sacrifices necessary to fulfill those dreams? I can't imagine a more helpless feeling than crawling around for a lifetime as a boneless chicken, unable to pursue any worthy goal to completion because one can't control one's impulses. My Sister Is a Sissy herds the anthology from veiled philosophical musing back to pure fun, with the third Jack Prelutsky poem included in his Arthur episode. It wasn't animated Jack Prelutsky who read this one, but Arthur the Aardvark, himself, opening the show with this silly soliloquy about a boy whose sister is creeped out by practically everything under the sun. It must have been rewarding for one legacy children's author (Prelutsky) to have his work recited by the most famous character of another (Marc Brown) on television.

Jack Prelutsky isn't Shel Silverstein, but he's not too far behind. What I love about The New Kid on the Block is the feeling that the zany people populating its poems could all live on the same city block, leading their comedically satisfying lives mostly behind closed doors so they aren't aware of the richness of humor in every house they pass by so close to home. That infuses the book with a subtle warmth, and I appreciate it. Artist James Stevenson's résumé can't compete with the manifold triumphs of Arnold Lobel's writing and illustrating career, but Stevenson is up to the task of doing Jack Prelutsky's poetry justice in this book, just as Lobel did in his own lauded collaborations with Mr. Prelutsky. I do adore The New Kid on the Block, and recommend it for readers ready to be introduced to the pleasures of Prelutsky poetry. You don't want to miss this one.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up reading Shel Silverstein's books like Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic. I never tired of these amusing poems, and I would reread the books often. I've introduced our girls to these books, too, and we've all come to love the whimsical poems and the humorous illustrations. Our oldest received this book of poems as a present from her third-grade teacher and she loves them just as much.

Advanced vocabulary and fun, rhyming poems highlight this book of poetry for children. Most of the poems are rather short and easy to read aloud, but our girls were introduced to some vocabulary words they were not familiar with. I enjoyed the humorous twist to many of the poems and we all took turns reading the poems aloud. Overall, it's an entertaining book and we really enjoyed reading this book together.

[Morgan Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The New Kid on the Block" features more than 100 poems. Prelutsky really uses his imagination writing about things we've thought about and things we'd never even imagined. The poems open readers up to the world and minds of children. Poems about greedy grannies, exploding Bloders, and hypothetical situations such as having your nose unfortunately situated between your toes are guaranteed to have you chuckling. It's full of surprises and the sketches are quick and easy, but still shows the true life of a kid. Children ranging from ages 6-9 would love to get their hands on this one.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll be honest, I did not love this book. When I was younger my mom had all these poetry books and I would sit and read Shel Silverstein over and over again. Whenever I tried to read Prelutsky, I just couldn't get into him.

When someone donated this book to my class, I thought I might as well give it another go. I didn't mind it at the beginning but then every poem started to sound exactly the same.

Basically, make a silly, alliterate name for a character that does a bunch of weird crap and end on a *gasp.* It got old pretty fast. I don't know, maybe kids will really love it, but I never did as a kid so I don't hold out much hope.

There was one brilliant, 5-star poem in the book that filled me with glee. If his other poems had been this thoroughly clever I would've enjoyed the book much more.

An Unassuming Owl

An unassuming owl,
having little else to do,
remarked within the darkness
a discreet and subtle whoooooooo

A self-important owl,
puffed and pompous in the gloom,
responded with an overblown
and condescending
whoooooooooooooooooooooooooom!

[Jaclyn Nix]

This collection of poems is ideal for elementary students and contains poems they can relate to. Before reading this book, I had used one of the poems in this book in a comprehension lesson. I was thrilled to find many more poems in this book I can use in my instruction. The collection includes poems with rich vocabulary, promote visualization, support figurative language, and will make students laugh.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

One poem in this book is called Carpenter rages and its about how Carpenter ants are eating all the Carpenters supplies he needs.

I thought this book was okay there was some good poems and then there were poems that I thought were pretty bad.

I would recommend this book it was pretty good. It had some funny poems and it also had boring poems.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic! The CD-ROM from the back in the day buffet was even better.

[Huawei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary：This book has many different poems, and every poem is about the thing that people may never have thought about before. In page 10, there has a poem is called Clara Cleech. She is a poor and clumsy juggler, so she paly with fruits, bowl, brick… Does this world has anything that she cannot play with?
Thought: I think this a good Children’s poem book. It has a lot of different poems, and these poems are about different things, also every poem has a picture follow with to help the readers can understand what going on is. For Clara Cleech, the kids can learn how to play with their self, and everything can change to be their toy, so they should not cost too much money on their toy. Also, pome is easier to remember, and the rhymes can make the kids to feel funny.
Line: For Clara Cleech, a girl is throwing a ball, and there has an arc line to show the ball’s trajectory. To help the readers to know the ball is from the girl’s left hand to her right hand.
Color: For this book, the pictures only have white and black two colors, but the artist use lighter or darker black to show the colors are different. The girl’s skirt is light black, and her hair is darker black.
POV: For Clara Cleech, the POV is third person because the all subjects are “She” and “Clara Cleech”. For example, she juggled a stone…
Character: For Clara Cleech, it only has one character, and she is Clara Cleech. Clara Cleech is the main character because the story is only happening on her.
Type of poetry: Clara Cleech is a narrative because the whole poem is about Clara Cleech is playing with herself, and everything can be her toys. For example, Clara Cleech juggled a been...

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The text begins with a poem about a new kid who moved on to the block, and then continues on with a variety of different poems. Each poem is about a new subject and each poem has its own illustration. The poems within the book cover topics easily understood and relatable for children within the elementary years. Subjects consist of wondering why your dad is so mad, wondering if oysters sneeze, having a terrible headache, and many more!

[Audrey Vinas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! Decent sized and hilarious poems! I had to read this for our poem unit in Language Arts and love it! Every poem makes you laugh. It’s a super quite read, even though I wrote that it took me a month to finish(I had to reread for assignments in class). Would definitely recommend to anyone.

[Gabby Crellin]

New Kid On The Block is another poem book that has a bunch of different poems, so that means it doesnt have a theme or meaning in to. Id have to say my favorite poem was, Homework! Oh, Homework! I really was intreasted by this book.

[Ryleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was full of funny /silly poetries that rhymed.So if you are a person who likes poetry and likes silliness, then this is a great book for you.

[Chloe Gough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you looking for a poetry book full of silly and exciting poems? of The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky is the perfect choice. This book contains exciting illustrations and poems that are easy for readers of all ages! Prelutsky uses unique rhythm and rhyme patterns to keep readers engaged. Pick up a copy of this book at your local bookstore today to expose your students to some silly poems!

[Kassandra Merritt · Rating 3 out of 5]

BR 2
The New Kid on the Block
Jack Prelutsky
153

The New Kid on the Block is a poetry book, it is written by Jack Prelutsky. This book is very different than what I thought a poetry book would be. Instead of it being like Shakespeare or a novel in all poetry it was several different poems, and let me just say thank goodness it was interesting. I personally don’t like poetry but this book kept my interest through most of the book, the poems were all funny and silly, finally the poems were creative. The book has very funny pictures for almost every poem.

The book kept my interest because as I said before there are funny and silly poems. For example this one poem is called “Dainty Dottie Dee” it is about how she washes everything even her garbage, and cleans bugs when they walk by. Another poem that I enjoyed was “The Cave Beast Greets a visitor” this poem is about how a beast that lives in a cave greets you in the best way. It talks about how he invites you in and in the end offers you dinner. We all know how that ends. Anyway these are the reasons why the poems are interesting, funny, and silly.

I would recommend this book to you if you need a easy to understand and appropriate poem book for whatever age you are. This book is good for all ages. There are poems that little kids would find funny and poems I found funny.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prelutsky's poetry is giggle inducing, silliness for the whole family to enjoy together. Whether you need short read-aloud material for classroom breaks or a way to engage students in public speaking, there is certainly a poem worth reading in The New Kid on the Block!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, unique book that can be enjoyed by most ages. It is aims to be funny in most poems.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my required reading for my children's literature class this week. I love poetry but I am just not a huge fan of children's poetry. It is so silly and occasionally dark enough to make me uncomfortable. That being said, I did enjoy the puns in The Cherries' Garden Gala and I though that A Microscopic Topic and Dora Diller were clever. Here is a taste:

A Microscopic Topic

I am a paramecium
that cannot do a simple sum,
and it's a rather well-known fact
I'm quite able to subtract.

If I'd an eye, I'd surely cry
about the way I multiply,
for though I've often tried and tried,
I do it backward...and divide.

[Anna Sommer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Kid on the Block is a collection of poems by Jack Prelutsky. The poems are about many things, mostly made up and fantastical. They are silly poems about animals, or new bullies, or made up magical people. There doesn't seem to be any one particular factor that ties all of the books in, other than they're all silly and would be great to read to young students to introduce them to poetry and add some fun to the day. There's illustrations to go with each poem. The cover recreates the title poem with a big, obvious bully walking down the street and all the other kids in the neighborhood scared and hiding. I really love James Stevenson's drawings because of how simplistic they are. They are very cartoonish and work so well with the silly, kid-friendly nature of all of these poems. Like I said earlier, these would be perfect to introduce the genre of poetry, because they're so fun and a lot of them are relatable in bringing up just silly questions, like how you know an oyster is asleep? But these questions seem to me to be the kinds of funny questions kids actually think of! These would be fun to read to young grades, like K-2, but great for 3-5 to use as inspiration or as a genre study.

[Bobbie Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The New Kid on the Block’, by Jack Prelutsky, is a witty collection of poems designed to humour the reader. Each poem is related to the new kid on the block and contains amusing characters, such as Ebenezer Bleezer and his ice cream, Dainty Dottie and Henrietta Snetter. Through a consistent and clever rhyme and rhythm, the author tells short, memorable and witty stories, producing poems such as ‘Louder than a Clap of Thunder’, ‘An Irritating Creature’ and ‘Bleezer’s Ice Cream’. I thoroughly enjoy this collection of poems as they never fail to make me laugh and always finish with an interesting twist in the last line of the poem.
Within a primary school, the collection has many uses. In Literacy, these poems could be used to study aspects of poetry, such as rhyming patterns, repetition and metaphorical language. This could be used in year 1, to display rhyme and rhyming patterns, year 2 for repetition, rhyming patterns and metaphorical language and year 3 for a fun and interesting way to teach a more in depth lesson on poetry. Outside of lesson time, the collection of poetry could be used to read with the class as a filler during spare parts of the day or an interesting, amusing reading time to settle the children at the end of the day.
Overall, ‘The New Kid on the Block’ is an amusing collection of witty poems which I rather enjoy. The collection has many uses in Literacy sessions and within the general school day.

[Brooke Loewen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by Jack Prelutsky and James Stevenson creating the illustrations, the two artists come together to create "The New Kid on the Block: Poems." This book is complete with short and witty poems offering a humorous depiction of out-of-the-norm creatures and people. There are a variety of different poems represented in this book, and each poem expresses a unique approach to thinking about things that people do not usually think about. The poems are relatable to the young children that they will adore because of the poem’s relatability, powerful vocabulary, imagery, and figurative language. Each poem keeps the reader’s attention because each poem is creative in content. I recommend this book to children of all ages. This book is great for instruction during a poetry unit because there are so many elements of poetry represented throughout this collection of poems that would strengthen the poetry unit and teacher instruction. This piece of work is incredibly relatable to elementary-grade level students because the poems expressed between the covers are relatable to their experiences at that age and grade level. Because the poems are filled with rich language and captivate the reader's mind and allow for vivid imagery through the use of figurative language I believe that this book will be treasured by students starting in the third grade. Teachers, this would be a great addition during any poetry unit that takes place in your classroom!

[Ms. McCall]

The New Kid on the Block combines poems of one theme: a neighborhood, and delves so thoroughly into the theme that Prelutsky includes Bleezer’s Ice Cream Shop’s flavor list (all of which were hilariously disgusting to me as a child, especially when my mother would get her toungue tied by the alliterative rhymes- Checkerberry Cheddar Chew/ Chicken Cherry Honeydew (p.48)) My Mother Says I’m Sickening and An Alleycat with One Life Left. But that doesn’t keep Prelutsky from adding real character to the neighborhood, sprinkling it with monsters (Flimsy Fleek, The Song of the Gloopy Gloppers, Yubbazubbies). The illustrations are simple black sketches, but do just the job to illustrate Prelutsky’s playful personalities and settings. Even for a child that may not think highly of poetry, this collection is a true gem at getting a giggle out of even the pickiest of readers.

[Jennifer Bollinger]

Rate: 4

Review: The new kid on the block book is suitable for young children because it has different kinds of poems throughout the book that young children would like. It describes a new kid that is new to the block and he is really tough and strong. While reading this book the children will be introduced to many poems including jellyfish stew and many, many more poems throughout the book.




poem: Jellyfish Stew

Jellyfish stew,
I'm loony for you,
i dearly adore you,
Oh, I truly I do,
You're creepy to see,
Revolting to chew,
you slide down inside
With a hullabaloo.

You're soggy, you're smelly,
You taste like shampoo,
You bog down my belly
With oodles of goo,
Yet I would glue noodles
And prunes to my shoe,
For one oozy spoonful
Of jellyfish stew

[Jacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book of poetry is written for Nursery/Primary readers.

Jack Prelutsky's book has dozens and dozens of fun, silly poems and includes outline drawing artwork by James Stevenson. The length of the poems makes for an easy read.

I liked the lighthearted nature of the poems and the silliness can be an asset, especially for children who don't like to sit and read. I think every child will recognize a little bit of themselves in at least one poem! The subjects vary, but there are lessons to be learned througout the book. All in all, the book is fun.

This book is a great introduction to simple poetry for children.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shares a lot of great poetry for children in grades K-5. I really appreciate how each poem is unique and silly in their own way and really grasps the readers attention. This book could be a great read aloud to read everyday to students to introduce them to poetry. Often times poetry can be quite difficult to understand, but by using this book as a read aloud teachers could talk about the meaning of the poem and it can also be a fun activity at the end of the day to read silly poems.