Have you tried the cocoa mocha macaroni at Bleezer’s Ice Cream Store? Ever gone for a ride on a purple pelican, or read a poem by A. Nonny Mouse? If you haven’t had the pleasure, chances are your children will.

Jack Prelutsky was recently named the first ever children’s poet laureate, and The Poetry Foundation couldn’t have made a better choice. His poems range from witty to fanciful, from hilarious to nonsensical, and back again, making them engaging, amusing reading for children of all ages, including the really big kids who know have children - or grandchildren - of their own.

Here’s one of my favorites from Poems of A. Nonny Mouse. I couldn’t find it online, so this is from memory:

A peanut sat on a railroad track, looking for its mother

The 4:15 came rushing by - Toot, toot! Peanut butter.

I recited that as part of a class talent show back in elementary school. Everybody laughed, including the teacher, so I daresay these poems are worth checking out.

You can also purchase his poetry on tape (well, it’s on CDs now) - the poems are sung to original music and accompanied with all sorts of instruments and sound effects. "Ride A Purple Pelican" was one of the few things that would make my brother and me stop our backseat border wars on long car trips, and our parents used it liberally. Years later, I can still sing most of that tape.

Congratulations, Mr. Prelutsky. Here’s to more and more children growing up with zany, fun-to-read-and-even-more-fun-to-recite poetry.

Because we all know what happens when children don’t have enough opportunities to exercise their imaginations . . .

Okay, I know it’s a screenshot of Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", but use your imagination. See? It all ties together after all.