Book Review: The New Kid on the Block

What is a Yubbazubbie, anyway? Jack Prelutsky creates poetry here that ranges from outlandish and nonsensical to more realistic or at least practical: A year of practice or an iron rear will get you far when cactus-sitting, for example. References to bodily functions and noises abound that children will also enjoy. Irreverent and sometimes eschewing authority (“I wish my mother wouldn’t make so many useless rules”) this is for children 6 to 10 who love the rhyme and creativity of Dr. Seuss but who may be ready to leave him to a younger, more conformist crowd. That younger crowd may get some enjoyment from the verse here, but some concepts may be beyond their understanding or they may lack knowledge necessary to make the joke work – knowing what a bully is and that one is frequently perceived to be male or that being a horse’s rear is a stab at self-deprecating humor. Simple, yet expressive and humorous illustrations complement each poem.