Synopses & Reviews
The poet, author, and indomitable naturalist Jack Prelutsky, having returned safely from far-flung places with an extensive collection of unique creatures that are a blending of the animate and inanimate, has worked in close collaboration with the fine artist Carin Berger, who herself conducted considerable field operations in preparing Mr. Prelutsky's specimens for exhibition and publication. While many creatures (two dozen species in all) were discovered and recorded and their precise qualities examined, we are presenting sixteen here for the first time and for the enjoyment and education of the general public.
Review
“Spectacular [and] witty. . . . Has the feel of a vintage science project by the weirdest (and most imaginative) kid in class. The zoology may be suspect, but the laughs are guaranteed.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Synopsis
Beloved and bestselling poet Jack Prelutsky and New York Times Best Illustrated artist Carin Berger team up to create a new collection of silly, strange, and sensational animal poems Told through couplets and visually arresting shadow boxes, dioramas, and cut-paper collage, Stardines Swim High Across the Sky evokes both natural history museums and wild and silly fantasy. "The zoology may be suspect, but the laughs are guaranteed."--Publishers Weekly
Sixteen extraordinary imagined creatures inhabit the pages of this unique, inspired, humorous picture book ideal for sharing together, and for reading again and again. Jack Prelutsky reinvents many familiar and beloved animals by combining inanimate objects with them (so, for example, a pair of pants and an anteater become a panteater). Carin Berger's illustrations are showstoppers. Her shadow boxes and dioramas utilize vintage type, ephemera, and such elements as ribbon, cards, buttons, and wood and bring the animals to life. Read it aloud, read it together: this is a catalog of effervescent silliness and will undoubtedly inspire young poets and artists alike. "The total effect is both whimsical and fascinating, with rich language in the poems and unexpected objects in the pictures to return to over and over again.'--The Horn Book
Supports the Common Core State Standards
About the Author
Jack Prelutsky was the nation's first Children's Poet Laureate. He has filled more than fifty books of verse with his inventive wordplay, including the national bestsellers
Scranimals and
The New Kid on the Block. In a starred review,
School Library Journal called
Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant, also illustrated by Carin Berger, a "do-not-miss poetry pick." Jack Prelutsky lives in Washington State.
Carin Berger is an award-winning designer, artist, and creator of such picture books as The Little Yellow Leaf and A Perfect Day, among others. She assembled the dioramas, shadow boxes, and cut-paper collages in this book from ephemera — catalogs, old books, receipts, letters,and ticket stubs — as well as cigar boxes. Carin Berger lives in New York City.