A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Prelutsky, Jack. 1996. A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN. Ill. By James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow Books. ISBN: 0688132367

2. PLOT SUMMARY:
Jack Prelutsky has written another wondrously rich, varied, clever, and always funny collection. He starts his first poem with the title of the book and uses various themes for his collection of poems. Some of the funny and witty poems are; I Did a Nuttty Somersault: “When you try out your roller blades, don’t do it on the ice”; I am dangling by my knees. …Grandma takes a closer look-whatever made you faint?” and I Got out of Bed. He also uses ample amount of rhythm and rhymes; I often repeat repeat myself: “I don’t I don’t know why know why…I often repeat repeat myself”; Frenetica Fluntz: “I eat as I drink and I drink as I shout and I shout as I think and I think as I draw and I draw as I walk and I walk as I read…”; and Dixxer’s Excellent Elixir. Most of all, there is something that makes his poem unique and attractive to children; I AM YOUR MIRROR IMAGE, Backwards Forwards Silly Rhyme and Reverso Is Name My (backwards and mirror writing); I’m All Mixed Up (mixed use with a capital and small letters); Zeke McPeake (small characters); and A triangular tale and I Was Walking in a Circle (concrete poems). Whether you begin at the beginning or just open the book at random, you won’t stop smiling.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
Jack Prelutsky has written a single poet collection that is great, funny, and enjoyable. It deals with various themes and forms of poems that any student will enjoy, even those students that weren’t interested in poetry. The students of all ages will be able to enjoy Prelutsky’s poems with abundant of funny expressions, word sounds, and word play. Verses range from the short and sweet poems to poems of silliness. This book is perfect for reading aloud or for independent reading as students will reach for this book again and again. It is great to use as part of an assignment in the class room.

James Stevenson’s black ink sketches are witty and touched with a gray wash that makes it enjoyable to read. He wrings a wealth of humor and emotion out of a few dashes of ink. It’s a delightful addition to poetry collections that all children will enjoy for a long time.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S):
Horn Book Guide (March 1, 1997)
“Fiction: NF Age: K-3 Prelutsky and Stevenson have again produced an appealing collection of short poetry. Spirited line and wash drawings effectively convey the tone of the jaunty, usually funny, often silly, sometimes gross, and always childlike poems. Poems in varied typeface and placement in an open format combine with the economical line of well-placed sketches to create a fast-paced collection that's loads of fun.”

School Library Journal (September 1, 1996)
“K-Gr 6?Yet another masterful collection of poems by the prolific Prelutsky, filled with zany people, improbable creatures, and rhythm and rhyme galore, all combining to celebrate the unusual, the mundane, and the slightly gruesome ("Eyeballs for sale!/Fresh eyeballs for sale!/Delicious, nutritious,/Not moldy or stale.").”

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Prelutsky, Jack. The new kid on the block. Illustrations by James Stevenson ISBN: 0688022715
*Prelutsky, Jack. Something big has been here. Illustrations by James Stevenson ISBN: 0688064345
*The students will be able to write a response to the poetry.
*The students will discuss new and interesting words.