Children's Poet Laureate

In late 2006, the Poetry Foundation named Jack Prelutsky the first ever Children's Poet Laureate. The position was created to raise awareness of the importance of children's poetry as a means of getting children to love both poetry and reading.

In late 2008, poet Mary Ann Hoberman was named the new Children's Poet Laureate. Hoberman is the author of over 40 books for children, including A House is a House for Me, which won the National Book Award.

In addition to raising awareness about poetry for children, the position brings new hope to children's writers with a poetry background, like myself. I find it hard to write poetry for kids that doesn't sound condescending or too babyish. But by reading and studying poets like Prelutsky and Hoberman, I can learn more about perfecting the genre. There is definitely a market out there for children's poetry!