My Dog May Be A Genius by Jack Prelutsky

Bibliography:
Prelutsky, J. 2008. MY DOG MAY BE A GENIUS. Ill. By James Stevenson. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. ISBN 9780066238630.

Plot Summary:
My Dog May Be A Genius is a compilation of over 100 poems by Jack Prelutsky that explore homework, underwater music bands, chickens, snabbits, and lima beans. The range of topics provides every reader something to connect to while the whimsical line drawings of James Stevenson accent the writing. The book contains indexes of both titles and first lines of each poem as well as a list of other works by Prelutsky.

Critical Analysis:
Prelutsky, the Children’s Poet Laureate, has written another book full of inventive characters, odd situations, and everyday problems. He writes for children in an accessible, fun way that engages interest. The poems are written in many forms using many poetic device such as rhyme, rhythm, puns, consonance, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. One poem, Sprig Id Here, is written as if the speaker has a terrible cold. The written words look silly and are a challenge to read aloud, but the effect is worth it. On some poems the printing of the text mimics the activities happening in the poem like on I Am Climbing Up A Ladder, where the text moves upward as the character does.

The writing is enhanced by the line and ink drawings of James Stevenson. This collaboration is effective because the drawings reflect the whimsy of the poetry like an octopus juggling flower pots. The drawings do not detract because the line work and washes are light and carefree. The poems are appropriate for solitary reading, but really shine when read aloud. This collection is appropriate for new readers of poetry and for readers already familiar with the author.

Review Excerpts:
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
“Familiar yet inventive, exuberant and silly, this consistently fresh assortment of light verse and expressive cartoons lives up to the haute goofiness of the best Prelutsky/Stevenson work.”

BOOKLIST
“In their fifth collaboration, Prelutsky and Stevenson create another collection of delicious nonsense poetry and gleeful cartoons. As always, Stevenson's line-and-wash drawings adeptly extend the silly mood in each poem, and Prelutsky's rhyming couplets ramp up the meter to capture the galloping excitement of imagined adventures.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Predictably, Prelutsky plays with language and does not shy away from challenging vocabulary, as illustrated in "The Underwater Marching Band" that "blares with gusto/and unmitigated cheer,/undaunted by the knowledge/we're impossible to hear." Stevenson's simple signature drawings capture the spirit of each poem with just the right amount of illustration.”

Connections:
-Other books by Jack Prelutsky:
-A Pizza the Size of the Sun
-The New Kid on the Block
-Zoo Doings
-This book could be part of a poetry reading/writing study. Prelutsky’s book on writing poetry could be a source. Pizza, Pigs, & Poetry: How to Write a Poem, ISBN:0061434485.
-Students could visit the interactive website for more poems. It is: www.jackprelutsky.com
-This collection could be used in the “Three Minutes for Poetry” or to allow students to select poetry to be read aloud. There is also a CD of My Dog May Be A Genius which could be used as a companion piece. The ISBN is 0061451452.