A PIZZA THE SIZE OF THE SUN

Written by Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by James Stevenson
ISBN: 9780688132361

Bibliography:
Prelutsky, Jack, and James Stevenson. 1996. A Pizza the Size of the Sun: Poems. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Plot:
A Pizza the Size of the Sun is an anthology of silly poems by Jack Prelutsky.

Analysis:
This playful collection of laugh out loud poems will grab the interests of readers and hold them captive until they arrive at the end of the book. The use of a variety of formats and fonts, paired with fun illustrations creates a mood of silliness. Prelutsky’s creative use of rhyme along with the utilization of advanced language in the poems will broaden the vocabulary of young readers and motivate them to find meaning in the upper level language. Poems such as The Manatee display a variety of literary devices such as alliteration, assonance, rhyme and the clever use of anagrams: “I’m partial to the manatee/which emanates no vanity./It swims amidst the anemones/and hasn’t any enemies.”

Review Excerpts:
Booklist: “A delightful addition to poetry collections that will not stay on the shelf for long.”

School Library Journal: “This book should be required reading for those out there who claim they don't like poetry. If you can only afford one poetry collection this year, make it this one.”

Connections:
*Other books by Jack Prelutsky
My Dog May Be a Genius
My Parents Think I’m Sleeping
Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem
The New Kid on the Block