It's Raining Pigs & Noodles [Library Binding]

Jack Prelutsky (Author), James Stevenson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 2000 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

The poet laureate of the young set is back, with his artist laureate collaborator, to "take another swipe at stuffiness."- Here are more than one hundred poems bursting to be read, chanted, laughed over, and remembered.

It would be hard to find a schoolage kid who has not read or heard a Prelutsky poem and who does not want to hear another. He plays with the language and encourages readers to revel in the game. Puns, jokes, wordplay and shape play, wit, silliness, slapstick, and joy abound. Some of the poems are about people, some are about animals. And some are about things that never were (and that one hopes never will be). Be warned: Read a poem once and you will love it. Read it several times and it will be part of you forever.

National Parenting Publication-Gold Award

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Brace yourself for more pun-ishment from the playful Jack Prelutsky and illustrator James Stevenson, creators of The New Kid on the Block, Something Big Has Been Here, and A Pizza the Size of the Sun. More than 100 Prelutsky poems populate the pages--a mix of 8-year-old-boy humor, nonsense poetry in the tradition of Ogden Nash and Edward Lear, and clever, often unabashedly shameless, wordplay. While there are many, many doozies, our favorite is "Hiccup!," excerpted here:

I've tried gulping hiccup water,
stood upon my hiccup head,
held my breath until my hiccup
hiccup face turned hiccup red.

Chronic cogitators are celebrated in "Quibble Q. Quing" (who thinks about things), and wild imaginations in "Purple Orangutans:" ("Rabbits and parrots play tag in the stars, / marshmallows march in the meadows of Mars... / these are a few of the wonders I find / in the magic museum I keep in my mind.") Children find a kindred spirit in Prelutsky, a poet who knows full well that overweight underdogs and chocolate-covered salami and Sniffing Snutterwudds are always worth a giggle. Stevenson's understated (but always expressive) line drawings suit this silly collection to a T. (Perfect for reading aloud to younger readers, but wordsmiths ages 9 and older will pick up all the puns.) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Following A Pizza the Size of the Sun, the reigning czars of silliness are back on the warpath, wreaking poetic havoc with yet another deliciously sly volume. The titles alone are a treat: "Never Poke Your Uncle With a Fork"; "I'm Ironing My Rhinoceros"; "Waffles Give Me Sniffles." Prelutsky trips the light verse fantastic across territory that's familiar yet fresh. He gleefully descends to the depths of gross-out humor ("Worm puree, oh hooray!/ You're the dish that makes my day"), engages in nimble wordplay ("There's no present like the time," he notes in "I Gave My Friend a Cuckoo Clock") and once again proves himself king of the final one-two punch (a knight confesses to ineffectuality in an ode closing with this couplet: "My name is famed through all the land/ I'm called Sir Lunchalot"). The sassy selection of nonsense rhymes and puckish poems will further endear Prelutsky to his many fans. Meanwhile, partner-in-crime Stevenson peppers the pages with his inimitably impish sketches, from pigs in kilts on stilts to fleas on a circus trapeze. Hats off to these two glorious goofballs! Ages 5-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding: 160 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (August 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060291958
• ISBN-13: 978-0060291952
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,167,750 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

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for Everyone, November 27, 2000

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Raining Pigs & Noodles (Hardcover)

Jack Prelutsky's It's Raining Pigs and Noodles is a wonderful,imaginative collection of poems the whole family will enjoy, that willmake you smile, giggle, laugh and sometimes roar. His witty, sillyand often irreverent verses are full of wordplay, puns, jokes, andeven fun with shapes. Where else can you find out about Grungy Grace"I hardly ever brush my teeth or wash my hands and face..."or Plooters "We are Plooters, we don't care, we make messeseverywhere..." or Titanic Timmy Tinkletunes "that when heplays the violin, he has to use a cello." James Stevenson'ssimple, humorous, yet expressive black and while illustrations, addjust the right touch and compliment each poem perfectly. This is abook younger children will want to hear again and again, older kidswill want to read over and over and adults will just plain enjoy. Sosit back, put your feet up and find out why "I'm Ironing myRhinoceros", what happens to "The Dancing Hippopotami"and where "There was Unabated Chaos". You can't go wrongwith this book!

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars laugh yourself silly, September 11, 2000

By 

Xeneri - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Raining Pigs & Noodles (Hardcover)

The creators of "The New Kid on the Block", and "A Pizza the Size of the Sun" are back and just a looney as ever. There are over 100 poems to make you giggle, guffaw, snort and chuckle.

Prelutsky's poems alternate between being witty, sweet, nonsensical and often totally shamless! And Stevenson's illustrations are a giggle unto themselves. You will find yourself reading and re-reading them to your kids -- and for yourself. Pick it and don't be ashamed to laugh yourself silly.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The FUNNIEST Poems!, October 15, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: It's Raining Pigs & Noodles (Hardcover)

One of the funniest poems we read was "I'm Stuck Inside a Seashell"! ...And one of the poems is "It's Raining Pigs and Noodles", just like the title (and they don't even just talk about pigs and noodles - they talk about all sorts of other things!)

All the poems are so funny and I was able to read some of them myself! ...And I learned never to take a bath all day and all night (Ha! Ha!)! I can't wait to read his other books!

Mom's note: "This collection of poems was simply adorable. I enjoyed reading them with my child as much as she enjoyed hearing them. ...And the simplicity of the poems allowed her to read some of them to me as well. A highly recommended bit of silliness!"