BEHOLD THE BOLD UMBRELLAPHANT And Other Poems

The first Children’s Poet Laureate for the United States reads and sings from three of his poetry collections. Selections combine animals, objects, and living things into unique beings. Beware a “radishark” if you are swimming or let a “ballpoint penguin” help you take notes. “What a Day It Was at School” provides a look at school from the students’ point of view in adept Prelutsky fashion. It’s a treat to hear the poet recite his own work. While it’s well known that many of Prelutsky’s poems can be set to the music of familiar tunes, the tunes for these poems are original and underscore the pleasure Prelutsky takes in performing his own work. The images—from “pop-up toadsters” to “solitary spatuloons”—linger in the listener’s ear. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 07]