Prelutsky, Jack (1940-…), is a popular American children’s poet. Prelutsky is considered a master of wordplay, or using language in inventive ways. Much of his poetry humorously features real or imaginary animals. Some of his poems comically explore food and eating. Prelutsky also writes poems about people and problems that are familiar to children, such as bullies and going to school.
Prelutsky has written more than 50 books of poetry, beginning with A Gopher in the Garden (1967). His other collections include The Queen of Eene (1978), Tyrannosaurus Was a Beast: Dinosaur Poems (1988), The Dragons Are Singing Tonight (1993), Scranimals (2002), and Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant, and Other Poems (2006). He also wrote The Swamps of Sleethe: Poems from Beyond the Solar System (2009), I’ve Lost My Hippopotamus and Stardines Swim High Across the Sky and Other Poems (both 2012), and Hard Boiled Bugs for Breakfast and other Tasty Poems (2021).
Prelutsky has edited several poetry anthologies, including The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983) and The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury (1999). Prelutsky offered children advice on how to write poems in Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry (2008).
Prelutsky was born on Sept. 8, 1940, in Brooklyn, a borough (district) of New York City. Before becoming a poet, Prelutsky trained to be a classical singer. His feeling for music is reflected in his verse, which can be effectively sung or read aloud. He has toured the United States, entertaining children in schools and libraries by singing his poems while accompanying himself on the guitar.
In 2006, Prelutsky was the first poet to be named Children’s Poet Laureate (now called Young People’s Poet Laureate). The Poetry Foundation, an independent American literary organization, made the appointment, which ran for two years.
