A Laureate, no less

America's first Children's Poet Laureate, Jack Prelutsky's verse is wide-ranging and fun. There are 50 or so Prelutsky collections to choose from, but my daughter was extremely fond of this one when she was younger so it still holds a special place in my heart.

Beneath a blue umbrella
a melon seller sat,
selling yellow melons,
succulent and fat.

A huge and hungry hippo
made the melon seller mad
when he swallowed all the melons
that the melon seller had.

--Jack Prelutsky



from Beneath a Blue Umbrella, rhymes by Jack Prelutsky; pictures by Garth Williams. Greenwillow, 1990.

If you haven't seen any of his collaborations with illustrator, Peter Sis, track them down. The Dragons Are Singing Tonight (1993), Monday's Troll (1996), The Gargoyle on the Roof (1999) and Scranimals (2002) are all published by Greenwillow.

For more fun and poetry, you can visit Jack Prelutsky's web site.

(Note: when quoting poems online, always include a full citation for the collection from which the poem originated. If the poem is not in the public domain (i.e. is still in copyright) abide by the principle of Fair Dealing in your use of the work.)