Quotes from Jack Prelutsky

Children seem naturally drawn to poetry - it's some combination of the rhyme, rhythm, and the words themselves.

Writing gives me the opportunity to explore ideas, play with language, solve problems, use my imagination, and draw on my own childhood.

Frankly, writing poetry for children is plain old fun, and I consider myself blessed to have such a delightful career.

Poetry seems to sink into us the way prose doesn't. I can still quote verses I learned when I was very young, but I have trouble remembering one line of a novel I just finished reading.

A poet is not something you become; a poet is something you are.

You're nasty and you're loud, you're mean enough for two, If I could be a cloud, I'd rain all day on you.

I love you more than applesauce, than peaches and a plum, than chocolate hearts and cherry tarts and berry bubblegum. I love you more than lemonade and seven-layer cakes, than lollipops and candy drops and thick vanilla shakes. I love you more than marzipan, than marmalade on toast, oh, I love pies of any size, but I love YOU the most.

Then I decided to draw from and on my own imagination, and everything came out perfect.

We Built a Castle Near the Rocks, we built it out of sand. Our fortress was an ice-cream box with turret, tall and grand. Our men were twigs, our gun were straws from which we'd sipped at lunch. We had the best of wars... till someone's foot went CRUNCH! [Joan Walsh Anglund]

I spied my shadow slinking up behind me in the night, I issued it a challenge, and we started in to fight. I wrestled with that shadow, but it wasn't any fun, I tried my very hardest— all the same, my shadow won.

There's a leaf clinging fast to a branch, though withered, it somehow holds on, and a single bird singing its song, though all of its kindred have gone. And as long as that little leaf stays, and as long as that stubborn bird sings, then autumn remains in the world, and winter must wait in the wings.

It's Valentine's Day, and in the street there's freezing rain, and slush, and sleet, the wind is fierce, the skies are gray, I don't think I'll go out today. But here inside, the weather's warm, there is no trace of wind or storm, and you just made the morning shine— you said you'd be my valentine.

A snowflake fell into my hand, a tiny, fragile gem, a frosty crystal flowerlet with petals, but no stem. I wondered at the beauty of its intricate design, I breathed, the snowflake vanished, but for moments, it was mine.

It's Halloween! It's Halloween! The moon is full and bright and we shall see that can't be seen on any other night skeletons and ghosts and ghouls, grinning goblins fighting duels, werewolves rising from their tombs, witches on their magic brooms. In masks and gowns we haunt the street and knock on doors for trick or treat. tonight we are the king and queen, for oh tonight it's Halloween!

I am running in a circle and my feet are getting sore, and my head is spinning spinning as it's never spun before, I am dizzy dizzy dizzy. Oh! I cannot bear much more, I am trapped in a revolving ...volving ...volving ...volving door!

There's a goblin as green As a goblin can be Who is sitting outside And is waiting for me. When he knocked on my door And said softly, "Come play!" I answered, "No thank you, Now please, go away!" But the goblin as green As a goblin can be Is still sitting outside And is waiting for me.

United Kingdom

You're nasty and you're loud, you're mean enough for two, If I could be a cloud, I'd rain all day on you.