The Carnival of the Animals, Prelutsky

Author: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrator: Mary GrandPré
Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (2010)
ISBN: 9780375864582

America’s first Children’s Poet Laureate, Jack Prelutsky, adds narrative to Camille Saint-Saëns’s The Carnival of the Animals, filled with rollicking rhymes and accompanied by beautiful illustrations by Mary GrandPré (best known as illustrator of the Harry Potter series). Includes a CD of the original work along with Prelutsky’s verses, narrated by the author.

About Jack Prelutsky:

For years, Jack Prelutsky’s inventive poems have inspired legions of children to fall in love with poetry. His outrageously silly poems have tickled even the most stubborn funny bones, while his darker verses have spooked countless late-night readers. His award-winning books include Tyrannosaurus Was a Beast, The Dragons Are Singing Tonight, The Random House Book of Poetry for Children and The Beauty of the Beast. He has written more than 40 books of verse and has compiled a number of poetry anthologies. His anthology, The 20th-Century Children’s Poetry Treasury, includes 211 wonderful poems that represent the best the century has to offer.

About Mary GrandPré:

Mary GrandPré began her career as an illustrator. The path that led her to that point started with her education at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her passion for light, color, drawing and design came together in evocative paintings, using a variety of mediums. Much of her focus was creating paintings for numerous picture books and book covers. While she has illustrated over 20 picture books, she is perhaps best known for her illustrations on the Harry Potter books. She has also worked as the conceptual artist on Dreamwork’s animated film Antz and on Blue Sky Studios’ animated film Ice Age.