Beneath a Blue Umbrella [Hardcover]

Jack Prelutsky (Author), Garth Williams (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

From the puppies in Philadelphia to the piglets in Wichita, west to the Great Salt Lake (where the big green frog lives), and south to the Mardi Gras celebration -- here are poems and pictures for everyone to love. Ride a Purple Pelican confirmed Jack Prelutsky and Garth Williams's place in the hearts (and on the tongues) of young Americans. And Beneath a Blue Umbrella is a worthy successor. Here is a book for adults to share with children -- and for children to share with adults and with each other.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The playful poet Jack Prelutsky takes young readers on a rhyming romp through the continental United States in Beneath a Blue Umbrella. Creating a whole new slew of nursery rhymes, Prelutsky writes, "Eleven yellow monkeys/in purple pantaloons/went to western Oregon/to play upon the dunes…" Heading eastward, Prelutsky picks goats for another verse: "Four fat goats upon a boat/sailed south from Newport News,/and there the four ate clothes galore,/they swallowed socks and shoes./They chewed on boots, on shirts, on suits,/they shared a sweater vest,/a dozen coats went down those goats/before they reached Key West." These rhymes are short and simple, presented in large type, so the youngest of readers will be able to follow along. Garth Williams, illustrator of Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and Bedtime for Frances, adds his expressive touch to Prelutsky's work. (Ages 2 to 6)

From Publishers Weekly

Like their previous Ride a Purple Pelican , this large-size 64-page collection contains a miscellany of gaily illustrated rhymes that trip lightly on the tongue. Interspersed among such silly characters as Anna Banana, Upside-down Roy or Jennifer Juniper are poems about animals, including a melon-swallowing hippo, a bobolink that marries a frog, and Patter Pitter Caterpillar. With characteristic style and slapdash verve, Prelutsky's verses celebrate creatures across the country, from the Iowa farmer who is plagued by crows to the puppies who steal pretzels in Philadelphia. Prelutsky's humor and pleasantly quirky view of the world are well matched by Williams's full-page lively illustrations that heighten the book's boisterous fun. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (April 27, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688064299
• ISBN-13: 978-0688064297
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #940,888 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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beneath a Blue Umbrella, a melon seller sat., August 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beneath a Blue Umbrella (Hardcover)

This was my cousin's favorite book as a child. Jack Prelutsky did a good job of it. Even though the book is about as long as a novel, my baby cousin (now nine and a half) sat through the whole book. When she got up to Anna Banana, she would hold her hands up in the air like she was walking on them. The poems, (some based on familiar nursery rhymes) others totally original, are still staples around our household. I would reccomend it to any child. --Robert Metz

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars My son doesn't enjoy it., May 14, 2007

By 

Pam Bruno - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beneath a Blue Umbrella (Hardcover)

Bought this because my 18-month old son LOVES "The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders" by the same author. But this book doesn't have the same charm. The poems aren't as good. And it's a different illustrator, whose pictures don't seem to grab my son the way the "Frog" book does. When I start reading this book to my son, he tries to squirm away or just looks bored. When I take out the "Frog" book, his eyes light up and he gets all excited and claps and can't wait for me to start reading.