Jack Prelutsky (born 1940) is an American poet renowned for his delightful, witty, and often hilariously whimsical verses that captivate children (and grown-ups) alike. His work combines clever wordplay with imaginative scenarios, encouraging readers to laugh, think, and embrace creativity.
He has published over 50 poetry collections. He served as the first U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate from 2006-08 when the Poetry Foundation established the award.
Jack Prelutsky’s poetry is celebrated for its humor, creativity, and ability to engage children with the beauty and fun of language. His work not only entertains but also encourages young readers to explore their own imaginations and the joy of reading poetry.
Famous Jack Prelutsky Poems
Last Night I Dreamed Of Chickens
Last night I dreamed of chickens,
there were chickens everywhere,
they were standing on my stomach,
they were nesting in my hair,
they were pecking at my pillow,
they were hopping on my head,
they were ruffling up their feathers
as they raced about my bed.
They were on the chairs and tables,
they were on the chandeliers,
they were roosting in the corners,
they were clucking in my ears,
there were chickens, chickens, chickens
for as far as I could see…
when I woke today, I noticed
there were eggs on top of me.
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!
As Soon As Fred Gets Out Of Bed
As soon as Fred gets out of bed,
his underwear goes on his head.
His mother laughs, “Don’t put it there,
a head’s no place for underwear!”
But near his ears, above his brains,
is where Fred’s underwear remains.
At night when Fred goes back to bed,
he deftly plucks it off his head.
His mother switches off the light
and softly croons, “Good night! Good night!”
And then, for reasons no one knows,
Fred’s underwear goes on his toes.
Bleezer’s Ice Cream
I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER’S ICE CREAM STORE,
there are flavors in my freezer
you have never seen before,
twenty-eight divine creations
too delicious to resist,
why not do yourself a favor,
try the flavors on my list:
COCOA MOCHA MACARONI
TAPIOCA SMOKED BALONEY
CHECKERBERRY CHEDDAR CHEW
CHICKEN CHERRY HONEYDEW
TUTTI-FRUTTI STEWED TOMATO
TUNA TACO BAKED POTATO
LOBSTER LITCHI LIMA BEAN
MOZZARELLA MANGOSTEEN
ALMOND HAM MERINGUE SALAMI
YAM ANCHOVY PRUNE PASTRAMI
SASSAFRAS SOUVLAKI HASH
SUKIYAKI SUCCOTASH
BUTTER BRICKLE PEPPER PICKLE
POMEGRANATE PUMPERNICKEL
PEACH PIMENTO PIZZA PLUM
PEANUT PUMPKIN BUBBLEGUM
BROCCOLI BANANA BLUSTER
CHOCOLATE CHOP SUEY CLUSTER
AVOCADO BRUSSELS SPROUT
PERIWINKLE SAUERKRAUT
COTTON CANDY CARROT CUSTARD
CAULIFLOWER COLA MUSTARD
ONION DUMPLING DOUBLE DIP
TURNIP TRUFFLE TRIPLE FLIP
GARLIC GUMBO GRAVY GUAVA
LENTIL LEMON LIVER LAVA
ORANGE OLIVE BAGEL BEET
WATERMELON WAFFLE WHEAT
I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER’S ICE CREAM STORE,
taste a flavor from my freezer,
you will surely ask for more.
The Visitor
it came today to visit
and moved into the house
it was smaller than an elephant
but larger than a mouse
first it slapped my sister
then it kicked my dad
then it pushed my mother
oh! that really made me mad
it went and tickled rover
and terrified the cat
it sliced apart my necktie
and rudely crushed my hat
it smeared my head with honey
and filled the tub with rocks
and when i yelled in anger
it stole my shoes and socks
that’s just the way it happened
it happened all today
before it bowed politely
and softly went away
Super Samson Simpson
I am Super Samson Simpson,
I’m superlatively strong,
I like to carry elephants,
I do it all day long,
I pick up half a dozen
and hoist them in the air,
it’s really somewhat simple,
for I have strength to spare.
My muscles are enormous,
they bulge from top to toe,
and when I carry elephants,
they ripple to and fro,
but I am not the strongest
in the Simpson family,
for when I carry elephants,
my grandma carries me.
Dora Diller
‘My stomach’s full of butterflies!’
lamented Dora Diller.
Her mother sighed. ‘That’s no surprise,
you ate a caterpillar!’
Homework! Oh, Homework!
Homework! Oh, Homework!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in the sink,
if only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You’re giving me fits.
I’d rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the homework,
my teacher assigns.
Homework! Oh, homework!
you’re last on my list,
I simple can’t see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!
A Pizza the Size of the Sun
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.
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.
My pizza is sure to be one of a kind,
my pizza will leave other pizzas behind,
my pizza will be a delectable treat,
that all who love pizza are welcome to eat.
The oven is hot, I believe it will take
a year and a half for my pizza to bake.
I can hardly wait til my pizza is done,
my wonderful pizza the size of the sun.
I met a dragon face to face
I met a dragon face to face
the year when I was ten,
I took a trip to outer space,
I braved a pirate’s den,
I wrestled with a wicked troll,
and fought a great white shark,
I trailed a rabbit down a hole,
I hunted for a snark.
I stowed aboard a submarine,
I opened magic doors,
I traveled in a time machine,
and searched for dinosaurs,
I climbed atop a giant’s head,
I found a pot of gold,
I did all this in books I read
when I was ten years old.
Herbert Glerbett
Herbert Glerbett, rather round,
swallowed sherbet by the pound,
fifty pounds of lemon sherbet
went inside of Herbert Glerbett.
With that glob inside his lap
Herbert Glerbett took a nap,
and as he slept, the boy dissolved,
and from the mess a thing evolved—
a thing that is a ghastly green,
a thing the world had never seen,
a puddle thing, a gooey pile
of something strange that does not smile.
Now if you’re wise, and if you’re sly,
you’ll swiftly pass this creature by,
it is no longer Herbert Glerbett.
Whatever it is, do not disturb it.
Deep In Our Refrigerator
Deep in our refrigerator,
there’s a special place
for food that’s been around awhile…
we keep it, just in case.
‘It’s probably too old to eat,’
my mother likes to say.
‘But I don’t think it’s old enough
for me to throw away.’
It stays there for a month or more
to ripen in the cold,
and soon we notice fuzzy clumps
of multicolored mold.
The clumps are larger every day,
we notice this as well,
but mostly what we notice
is a certain special smell.
When finally it all becomes
a nasty mass of slime,
my mother takes it out, and says,
‘Apparently, it’s time.’
She dumps it in the garbage can,
though not without regret,
then fills the space with other food
that’s not so ancient yet
I Went Hungry on Thanksgiving
I was hungry on Thanksgiving
But I couldn’t eat a thing
I couldn’t eat a drumstick
And I couldn’t eat a wing
I couldn’t have the pickles
Or the gravy covered rice
The pumpkin pie was luscious
But I couldn’t have a slice
I was starving for some stuffing
Or a tasty yellow yam
Or a puffy little muffin
Spread with homemade berry jam
Our dinner looked delicious
But I didn’t dare to touch
I went hungry on Thanksgiving
My new braces hurt too much!
Suzanna socked me Sunday
Suzanna socked me Sunday,
she socked me Monday, too,
she also socked me Tuesday,
I was turning black and blue.
She socked me double Wednesday,
and Thursday even more,
but when she socked me Friday,
she began to get me sore.
“Enough’s enough,” I yelled at her,
“I hate it when you hit me!”
“Well, then I won’t” Suzanna said—
that Saturday, she bit me.
Pumberly Pott’s Unpredictable Niece
Pumberly Pott’s unpredictable niece
declared with her usual zeal
that she would devour, by piece after piece,
her uncle’s new automobile.
She set to her task very early one morn
by consuming the whole carburetor;
then she swallowed the windshield, the headlights and horn,
and the steering wheel just a bit later.
She chomped on the doors, on the handles and locks,
on the valves and the pistons and rings;
on the air pump and fuel pump and spark plugs and shocks,
on the brakes and the axles and springs.
When her uncle arrived she was chewing a hash
made of leftover hoses and wires
(she’d just finished eating the clutch and the dash
and the steel-belted radial tires).
“Oh, what have you done to my auto,” he cried,
“you strange unpredictable lass?”
“The thing won’t work, Uncle Pott,” she replied,
and he wept, “It was just out of gas.”
A Wolf Is At The Laundromat
A wolf is at the Laundromat,
it’s not a wary stare-wolf,
it’s short and fat, it tips its hat,
unlike a scary glare-wolf.
It combs its hair, it clips its toes,
it is a fairly rare wolf,
that’s only there to clean its clothes—
it is a wash-and-wear-wolf.
Common Themes in Jack Prelutsky’s Poems
- Playful Imagination: From wild ice cream flavors to body parts in odd places, his verses celebrate creativity.
- Everyday Situations Exaggerated: School homework, sibling rivalries, or personal quirks are humorously amplified, making them relatable yet funny.
- Lighthearted Morals: While comedic, many poems subtly encourage self-love, respect for others, or an appreciation of ordinary things.
- Rhythm & Rhyme: Prelutsky’s rhythmic style makes his poems enjoyable to read aloud—ideal for classroom and family story time.
Engaging Kids with Prelutsky’s Poetry
- Read-Aloud Sessions: Children love the quirky words and lively rhythms. Encourage them to join in on repeated lines or rhymes.
- Illustration Activities: Ask kids to draw their favorite scenes from a poem, like crazy ice cream flavors or reimagined body parts.
- Word Inventions: After exploring Prelutsky’s unique phrases, challenge kids to create their own silly words and use them in a mini-poem.
- Drama & Skits: Transform a poem into a short performance. Assign roles, props, and let children act out the poem’s scenarios.
Using Poetry to Spark Creativity
Jack Prelutsky’s poems exemplify how humor and rhythm can make language come alive. Encourage children to:
- Experiment with Rhymes: Brainstorm word pairs that rhyme (like “frog” and “bog,” “sweet” and “treat”) and build a short silly poem around them.
- Observe Everyday Life: The best inspiration often comes from common experiences—homework, siblings, or even lunchroom drama.
- Laugh at Mistakes: Embrace errors and silly ideas. Poetry is a space where accidents can lead to fresh perspectives.
By giving children room to explore words as tools for fun (rather than obstacles), you can help nurture lifelong fans of reading and creative expression.
Conclusion
Jack Prelutsky’s poems stand out for their unbridled imagination, humor, and universal appeal to young audiences (and the young at heart). Through short, catchy rhymes, he turns mundane elements of life into playful escapades, making everyday experiences more vibrant. You can sense his gift for tapping into a childlike wonder. Let these whimsical lines inspire you to explore language, laugh a bit louder, and see the world through a delightfully skewed lens.
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