The New Kid on the Block

Written by Jack Prelutsky, "The New Kid on the Block" is a collection of absurd poems for children. Jack Prelutsky, the author to over fifty poem collections, claims that he hated poetry in grade school because of the way that it was taught, and therefore desired to create poetry for children in a way that they would not only come to love, but also respect. The introduction to this particular collection best explains the humorous poems found within its pages. For instance, "You'll be introduced to jellyfish stew, a bounding mouse and a boneless chicken. You'll learn why shouldn't argue with a shark or have an alligator as a pet, and you'll meet the world's worst singer and the greatest video game player in history."

Every poem stretches the imagination of its reader, causing them to think far "out of the box" into an imaginary realm of absurdity. Prelutsky derived his name for this collection from his first poem, which is about a little boy who is scared of the new kid on the block. After an in-depth explanation by the little boy of the "new kid," the poem ends with him commenting "I don't care for HER at all."

Not only are the poems within this collection comical, but also the illustrations by James Stevenson, which correspond with each poem. While the poems easily appeal to its reader, the illustrations complete the thoughts of Prelutsky and add essential humor to the piece. Prelutsky was successful in his attempt to transform poetry units in grade schools, and his work is constantly used within classrooms.