Kids Books A to Z: P is for Prelutsky

Jack Prelutsky is one of the funniest writers I remember from my childhood. For Christmas when I was about 7 years old, my aunt bought me The New Kid on the Block, a collection of his humorous poetry for kids. I read that book over and over again. At first it was hard for me to wrap my head around a style of poetry that was different from Shel Silverstein. To that point, he was the only children's poet I knew. Prelutsky was different. He was grosser, which made it even more amusing, and didn't have deep thoughts in the same way. I still loved him.


I remember having to memorize some of his poetry for school. I did "Homework, Oh Homework" for a recitation. We also used to try to memorize poems such as "Gussie's Greasy Spoon" and "Ebeneezer Bleezer's Ice Cream."

Prelutsky has written over 50 collections of poems for children. I have read through many of them with my students and on my own. I will forever be partial to New Kid on the Block, though, simply because it was my first.

The Endless String

The Endless String: Poems for children (and the people who read to them) by the husband-wife team of Tom and Tess Hannah is a delightful collection of poetry that strongly follows in the footsteps of Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein.

The beat of the poetry allows for fluid reading-aloud. The subjects are dear to children's hearts and guaranteed to put a smile on their faces. The subtle puns provide entertainment even for adults. Adding to the verse are Tess Hannah's accompanying illustrations. They are simple, yet add so much to the visual impact of the poems.


Younger children who are learning how to read benefit from hearing and learning rhyming poetry. It's also a great exercise for older children who are improving upon their reading skills. The Endless String provides parents and teachers with another resource to use. Reading the book, I can also see teaching opportunities for meter and rhyme when teaching poetry, even in upper grades, such as high school. It may be more entertaining for teenagers to read, thus getting the lesson across in a stronger fashion.


I shared the poetry with a teenager and a kindergartener, both of whom greatly enjoyed the experience. The smiles on their faces as they heard the verses and looked at the pictures spoke volumes to me. Tom and Tess have a great thing going here, and I hope they continue their collaboration. I plan on using The Endless String in my classroom and tutoring sessions. I just wish it were in hardcover, as I believe it is going to get a lot of use over the next few years!

Buy The Endless String: Poems for Children (and the people who read to them)





Andrea Coventry is a book reviewer for Bookpleasures.com