It's Raining Pigs and Noodles By: Jack Prelutsky

I love reading poetry especially Jack Prelutsky's work aloud to my students.  No matter the age, it is always a hit!  It's Raining Pigs and Noodles is another one of Jack Prelutsky's fantastic works!

It's Raining Pigs and Noodles

Author: Jack Prelutsky Born in Brooklyn, NY, Jack Prelutsky attended Hunter College.  Using poetry as a means of communication, Jack Prelutsky always made poetry a priority in his life.  Jack Prelutsky was named the first Children's Poet Laureate by the National Poetry Foundation in 2006.  Jack Prelutsky

Genre: Poetry

Grade Level: All

Theme/Skill: Poetry

Brief Synopsis: “It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles” (pg. 7) describes a down pour.  The author hints that this rain is painful.  Prelutsky emphasizes the rain by using words like frogs, prunes, silverware, and pickles.

Pre-Reading Activity: Raise your hand if you have ever written a poem.  Who has experienced being stranded outside during a down pour?  Think about what that felt like while we read this poem.

Post-Reading Activity: What is the hidden meaning of “It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles”?  What words does the author use to describe the rain? I plan to make a list of the students’ answers on the board. Why does the author use these words to describe the rain?  Most poems add enthusiasm to a common thought.  This example, “It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles”, is a great example of this.  Instead of using “hard” or “pouring”, the author creatively stated the same thing.  Authors usually brainstorm these ideas individually but sometimes they use a thesaurus.  A thesaurus is a list of words can that mean the same as another word.  (Display Thesaurus) For example, rain can be described through the numerous words we listed (point to list).  Using your dictionary, I want everyone to look up a word you think of and write down all the synonyms (similar words) displayed.

Prelutsky, J. (2000) It’s Raining Pig and Noodles. New York: Scholastic Inc. Grades Pre K – 2.