Toni Barker

November 11, 2014

Genre: Poetry

Literary Analysis
Bibliographic Information:
Prelutsky, J. (2012). Ive Lost My Hippopotamus. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
Plot:
Does the book tell a good story? : Prelutskys collection of poems are not all about
hippopotamuses, however each poem itself tells a good miniature story. They are all
outrageously funny stories about different animals, real and made-up, holidays, and goofy
scenarios.
Will children enjoy it? There is no doubt in my mind that children will enjoy this anthology. It
makes poetry fun, and will make anyone laughchild and adult.
Setting:
N/A
Theme:
Does the story have a theme? : If laughter can be considered a theme, then this story does have
a theme. The authors poems are all silly with the purpose of being funny and bringing laughter.
**No other questions apply**
Characterization:
How does the author reveal characters? : There are different characters in each poem. They
are revealed through text and illustrations.

Is the behavior of the characters consistent with their ages? : Much detail is not given on
each character since each poem is based on different subjects. However, each of the children that
are depicted, behave according to their appeared age.
Style:
Is the style of writing appropriate to the subject? Being a fun and silly anthology, the text
usually aligns with the silly illustration along with it. For example, in the poem, I Can Yo-Yo,
double-page illustration shows a set of hands with dozens of yo-yos hanging from them. The
poem is written within the dozens of yo-yos. The style goes along with the silly nature of the
anthology, therefore is appropriate.
How did the author create a mood? : Prelutsky creates a fun and happy mood through his use
of silly made-up words.
Point of View:
Does the point of view change? : The point of view changes with each poem in the anthology.
Some are from the narrators point of view while others have the point of view of a character in
the poem.
Does the point of view limit or enlarge the readers horizon? : I believe that the point of view
enlarges the readers horizon. Since each poem is different, it only makes sense for the point of
view to change. If each poem was written from a narration point of view, the poems would also
not be as enjoyable, as to seem redundant.
Characteristics Specific to Genre:

Does the poem use alliteration? Onomatopoeia? Repetition? : The author uses a lot of
alliteration throughout the anthology such as,
The Scritchy Scratchy Scrootches
That live in Scratchy Patch
Begin their scritchy scratching
The second that they hatch
Prelutsky also uses repetition like in the poem I Planted a Whistle. The repetitive pattern
begins every other sentence with I planted a and And grew a.
If the poem rhymes, does it sound natural or contrived? : Even though the author uses a lot
of made-up words, the rhyming is very natural. The rhyme flows smoothly with the intended
rhythm. There are a few made-up words that may need to be repeated and may conflict with the
natural flow of the rhyme such as in The Pelicantaloupes.
What is the purpose of the poem? To amuse? To describe in a fresh way? How well has the
poet achieved this purpose? : The purpose of the poems is to amuse. The poet achieved his
purpose very well. I laughed non-stop through this anthology.
Reflections:
As I have made apparent, I absolutely loved this anthology. Before I even finished the
book, I said aloud, I am definitely buying this book. I already love poetry, so reading an
anthology that was fun and silly was very enjoyable. The made-up words remind me of Dr.
Seusss books, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. Without a doubt, I will have this

anthology in my classroom. Ive already decided to have some of these poems enlarged and
laminated for my classroom!
The anthology has many different poems at different reading levels. Some would be
suitable for independent reading in older grades while the students in primary grades would
require this to be read aloud. I think it is a great book to use when introducing poetry. I would
also recommend students to read it that already have it in their mind that they hate poetry.