POETRY BLOG #3 A Pizza the Size of the Sun

POETRY BLOG #3: A Pizza the Size of the Sun

Bibliographic data

Stevenson, James. 1994. A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN. by Jack Prelutsky. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 0-688-13235-7

Plot Summary

In this collection of poetry by Jack Prelutsky shares all types of humorous poems, including lyric, limerick, and concrete poems that children will enjoy, relate to, and most of all have fun reading. Poems include My Brother’s Really Stingy, Quentin Quimble Quamble Qualye the tattletale, and Gloppe’s Soup Shoppe to name a few. Children can read from start to finish, or pick and choose poems at random.

Critical Analysis

Jack Prelutsky’s poems are very imaginative, varied and humorous. He creates imaginary animals such as Moopies and Doddies and the Fummawummalummazumms in his rhymes. Prelutsky uses rhythm, rhyme, and alliteration in his poems. This collection includes concrete poems, such as I Was Walking in a Circle, where the poem is written on the page as a representation of a circle and the reader has to read the poem in the circle turning the book around in the process. Concrete poems are meant to be seen more than heard and often do not have a rhyming scheme or particular rhythm. The poem, I Was Walking in a Circle, does have a rhyming scheme as the words red and said do rhyme, but the visual is the most important part of the poem. Prelutsky uses word play and has even has fun with the way the poems are presented on the page. For example in I Am your Mirror Image, the reader has to look at the poem in the mirror to read it, also in Reverso is Name My, the reader has to figure out to read the poem left to right instead of the normal right to left. In the concrete poem a Dizzy Little Duzzle, the poem is never-ending, but the words fly around the page like a little bug. I also like the play on words in the poem If. This poem uses the double meanings of words like pain and pane, peal and peel, pries and prize, hares and hairs, and bear and bare to create a fun rhyming poem. These poems are great to read as an adult read aloud, unison, chorus and groups. The poem Rat for Lunch is a great poem to read with a class. The students can read aloud the repeated lines of the poem, while the teacher reads the rest of the pieces of the poem in between the chorus.

Rat for lunch! Rat for lunch!
Yum! Delicious! Munch munch munch!
One by one or by the bunch –
Rat, oh rat, oh rat for lunch!

James Stevenson’s water color black and white cartoon illustrations complement the poem very well. In I Got out of Bed, and I’m Proud of My Preposterpus the picture simply makes the poem. In other poems the illustrations add to the humor and wit of the poetry. Children will fall in love with the silly and fun poems and pictures in this poetry collection.

Review Excerpts

Booklist, 9/15/96 Gr. 3-6.
Prelutsky is up to his old tricks, using verbal sleight of hand to create another magical anthology of light verse. Poems such as "Penguins" display an elegance of wit and style: "Penguins cautiously reside / on our planet's underside, / Where they're careful not to cough, / lest they trip and tumble off." Others appeal to a grosser humor ("Eyeballs for sale! / Fresh Eyeballs for sale! / Delicious, nutritious, / not moldy or stale") or to children's delight in wordplay (I hide my dromedary / inside of our garage, / my parents don't suspect it's there / it's wearing camel-flage"). Librarians who have trouble locating concrete poems (in which the words are placed on the page in a shape suggested by the poem's subject) for school assignments will be glad to find a few examples here. The verse finds perfect visual expression in Stevenson's witty ink drawings touched with gray wash. A delightful addition to poetry collections that will not stay on the shelf for long.

Horn Book,9/10/96
The duo responsible for The New Kid on the Block and Something Big Has Been Here have again combined talents to create an appealing collection of short poetry. Stevenson's spirited line and wash drawings effectively convey the tone of the jaunty, usually funny, often silly, sometimes gross, and always childlike poems.... A fast-paced and accessible collection that's loads of fun.


Connections

The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky
Something Big Has Been Here by Jack Prelutsky
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Falling up by Shel Silverstein


Activities

Students read poems from books and pick their favorite to memorize and/or read aloud to the class
Adult read aloud, chorus and groups