Best known for his successful mix of the frightening and the foolish, Jack Prelutsky, for the past twenty years, has been making children cringe with fear and laugh with delight. His poems often portray the macabre in such an exaggerated manner that the overall effect is a humorous one. And his nonsense verse is entertaining and fun, especially when read out loud.

Jack Prelutsky was born on 8 September 1940 in Brooklyn, New York. Nurturing his creative ability at an early age, he attended the High School of Music and Art and later went on to Hunter College, which is now part of the City University of New York. He has also studied voice at several music schools, singing with opera companies in both Massachusetts and Washington. He has lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

His occupations, besides author, have also been diverse and eclectic. From...