Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant CD [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Jack Prelutsky (Author, Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 2006

So put on your pith helmet and prepare to explore a wilderness of puns and rhymes where birds, beasts, vegetables, and flowers have been mysteriously scrambled together to create creatures you've never seen before -- and are unlikely to meet again Your guides -- Jack Prelutsky, poet laureate of the elementary school set, and two-time Caldecott Honor artist Peter Sis -- invite you to join them on an adventure you will never forget

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Prelutsky fans are in for a treat with this collection that combines his latest book of poetry with two other favorite anthologies (Scranimals; What a Day It Was at School!) and features several original songs. Each poem spotlights an animal that shares characteristics of some inanimate object (i.e., the title character is an elephant with an umbrella for a trunk). Among the selections that Prelutsky has set to music are "The Ballpoint Penguins": "The ballpoint penguins black and white/ Do little else but write and write./ Although they've nothing much to say,/ They write and write it anyway." Prelutsky's confident reading conveys the witty, matter-of-fact silliness that is the hallmark of his work. His troubadour-like folk-style songs and musicianship on acoustic guitar are an entertaining bonus. Ages 4-up. (Oct. 2006)
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From School Library Journal

Grade 2–6—Jack Prelutsky brings his collection of poetry to life in this recording. The real treat, though, is Prelutsky simply but dramatically singing his words, in addition to reading the text. The premise of the verse lies in combining an animal and an inanimate object. "What do you get when you cross a toaster with a toad? A tuba with a baboon? A clock with an octopus? A hat with a chicken? An umbrella with an elephant? Why…A pop-up toadster, a tubaboon, the clockopus, a hatchicken and the bold umbrellaphant." Kids will appreciate the raw silliness of the verse, as well as the exercise in imagination required to envision such characters. In addition to the verse from the title book (Greenwillow, 2006), Prelutsky also reads from two other similar titles, What a Day It Was in School! (Greenwillow, 2006) and Scranimals (Greenwillow, 2002). Be sure to have the title book available so that listeners can also look at Carrie Berger's photo cut-paper collage illustrations that are a visual treat. Teachers may want to use this title as a springboard for their classes' own inventions. Perfect for leisure listening as well as poetry and word study units.—Kirsten Martindale, formerly Menomonie Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; Unabridged edition (September 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061140465
• ISBN-13: 978-0061140464
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,487,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jack Prelutsky has filled more than fifty books of verse with his inventive wordplay, including the national bestsellers The Wizard, Scranimals, and The New Kid on the Block. He is also the author of Be Glad Your Nose is on your Face, a collection of his most celebrated verses. He was named the nation's first Children's Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. Jack Prelutsky lives in Washington State.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Poems for More Advanced Readers, October 9, 2006

By 

FictionAddiction.NET - See all my reviews

This review is from: Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant: And Other Poems (Hardcover)

What's an umbrellaphant? What's a panthermometer? How about an Ocelock?

Take a bunch of words and scramble them up. Give them a definition with a humorous twist and you've got Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant and Other Poems.

Fun poems about quirky combinations of animals with musical instruments, rain gear, nature and other objects will tie those tongues and make your child laugh. Get silly with your kids by reading the poems or let your readers in progress take a stab at reading the poems themselves.

If the unusual descriptions, like what happens when you cross a shoe and a hornet, don't get you, the illustrations will. The creative drawings are humorous on their own.

Add in the poems and you'll never look at a clock and an octopus the same way again. They form a clocktopus, in case you were wondering.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable for children and adults, great humor, June 21, 2007

By 

Two kids mom "scienceteachermom" (NM United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant CD (Audio CD)

My kids, girl age 8 and boy age 11 both enjoy this cd. Its has the right amount of absurdity and humor to appeal to both of them. It has 56 tracks, three total books. Behold the Bold Umrellapant, What a Day it was at School and Scranimals for an hour long cd. Your kids will want to look at the books while they listen, at least the first time. If your kids like Shel Silverstein, they will like this cd as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for my classroom, June 15, 2008

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E. M. Morris "emmorris" (nashville, tn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant: And Other Poems (Hardcover)

The poem "panthermometer" is a great intro into measuring temperature. My kids at home love them all. Great post modern looking collage artwork as well.