Poet Extraordinaire

U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky can’t help but be funny

Why does U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky write funny poems? Why not serious poems or sad poems? “It’s who I am,” he says. “When I was young, I tried to write romantic poetry, and it came out funny. I can’t help myself. If I really concentrate, I can write other types of poems, but it’s a stretch for me. It’s like asking a lion why it doesn’t eat vegetables every once in a while.”

So deeply ingrained is this style that even the poem he is contributing to a book on global warming is veering toward the humorous. “It’s a very serious topic,” he says, “but the poem is coming out funny.” Of course, Prelutsky of all people realizes that a funny poem can have a serious impact.

“Not everything I write is a work of genius,” Prelutsky says, “but I write from the heart.” That heartfelt work has been delighting young readers (and adults as well) for the past four decades. In all, Prelutsky has written some 70 poetry books. His favorites include A Gopher in the Garden (his first book), Nightmares, and The New Kid on the Block.

After 40 years, Prelutsky remains full of ideas. He has four books scheduled for publication in 2008, including My Dog May Be a Genius, which will come out in the spring. Teachers may especially enjoy two poems from that book that pertain to reading: “Boys Are Big Experts” and “I’m Going to the Library.”

Named poet laureate

In September 2006, the nonprofit Poetry Foundation named Prelutsky the first Children’s Poet Laureate in the United States. A resident of Seattle, Washington, Prelutsky was on a ferry just outside of town when he learned the news. “I was excited and delighted,” he says.

As poet laureate, Prelutsky is working to further raise awareness of the importance of children’s poetry-something he has been doing for decades anyway. He has delivered public readings and created a feature on the Poetry Foundation website that spotlights other children’s poets.

The U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate honor included a $25,000 cash award. Prelutsky plans to use some of the prize money to create a poetry contest in the schools, and his wife is helping him organize the project.

In the fall of 2008, Greenwillow will publish a retrospective of Prelutsky’s work, with the working title of Louder Than a Clap of Thunder. The retrospective will include roughly 100 poems culled from 20 to 30 of his books, plus some new works. Each poem will be illustrated in full color, a rarity for a book of that size.

Encouraging student writers

Another new project due out this spring is a book for kids about writing titled Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem. “I’m talking about brainstorming and the kinds of things you can do to stimulate the creative process,” Prelutsky says. He also focuses on some writing techniques.

One aspect of writing that Prelutsky emphasizes is the revision process. Of the thousands of poems he has written “almost none came out right the first time,” he says. On average, most go through five or six rewrites. Some have been rewritten as many as 100 times. Once he spent weeks searching for a single word.

“Even if you’ve written a poem and are about to hand it in, look at it again,” he tells students. “You can almost always make something better.”

Ideas for teachers

Not surprisingly, Prelutsky believes in the value of including poetry in the curriculum. As a youth, he had a teacher who really turned him off to poetry. He wants other teachers to create a more positive impression among their students.

“I’ve seen teachers who can take something that the kids already like, such as baseball, and make it dull,” he says. “I’ve also seen teachers who can introduce their kids to the Yellow Pages of the phone book and make it fascinating. It has to do with involvement, I think. If you are involved, they will be involved. If you are enthusiastic, they will be enthusiastic.”

Prelutsky urges teachers to link poetry to other aspects of the curriculum, suggesting that it can be combined with music, dioramas, or plays. “Make poetry a part of something bigger,” he says.

The magic of a poem may be locked inside it, Prelutsky says. “There may be one key that fits and unlocks it; there may be 100. It’s up to the teacher to find those keys.” He offers some specific ideas that teachers can use to help introduce children to the reading and writing of poetry.

Poetry makes us human

At age 67, how does Prelutsky maintain his childlike view of the world? “I’ve spent a lot of time with children,” he says, having visited hundreds and hundreds of schools over the years.

“A lot of it has to do with remembering,” he adds. “The more I write about incidents based on my own childhood, the more I remember. I try to remember what it was like not to be able to reach the doorknob and being afraid of bigger kids in the neighborhood.”

Prelutsky views poetry as a type of art that can enrich our lives. “Poetry is one of the things that makes us human,” he concludes. “I feel better when I read a good poem or hear a song well sung. What make us human are things like painting and music and poetry and novels and photographs and an appreciation of nature.”