Rarest Kind of Best

THE DRAGONS ARE SINGING TONIGHT

Jack Prelutsky

illustrated by Peter Sis

Age:  6+

Interests: dragons, poetry, humour

Greenwillow Books: 1993

17 poems – 39 pp.

Also by this author: The New Kid on the Block, Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep, It’s Halloween, The Mean Old Mean Hyena, Something BIG Has Been Here, and MANY others

Also by this author and illustrator: Scranimals

Next: The Book of Dragons, The Reluctant Dragon

A collection of poems about dragons, all kinds of dragons – dragons in the computer, in the bathtub, mountain-sized or only 1/2 an inch tall. This book is perfect for dragon enthusiasts, though really, who doesn’t love dragons?

The prolific children’s poet Jack Prelutsky really pushes the vocabulary envelope here, throwing in words like cacophonous, disparage, incalculable, happenstance. His poems are alternately humorous and melancholy, but always thought-provoking. From flippant poems like “I have a dozen dragons / I bought them at the mall” to the sad figure of “I Am My Master’s Dragon / and my master treats me well”, these are all intriguing creatures, and the wonderful illustrations by Peter Sis only add to their mystery and charm.

Like any book of poems, these beg to be read aloud and shared. Be ready to explain the more unusual words. We loved reading this book. My daughter’s favourite poem was “I Am Boom!”, best read LOUDLY.

(available at amazon.com)