Category: Poetry Review

Posted in Poetry Review

Poetry Review: Readerful Series for Sharing – The Sea’s Song and Wiggle Wonderful

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

I know about these lovely, OUP Readerful series poetry books because I have poems in two of them. The Sea’s Song (the title incidentally taken from my poem) and Wiggle Wonderful are for children in reception and primary 1. In this poetry series there is also Moonlight Shine (for year 2, primary 3), Rising into Sunlight (for year 3, primary 4), and Forgetting How to Fall (for year 4, primary 5). The books have been compiled by the lovely poet Catherine Baker, who also writes wonderful haiku.

Each of the above two books is beautifully illustrated in colour throughout- Wiggle Wonderful by Katie Cottle, Raquel Martín and Rekha Salin, and The Sea’s Song by Tika and Tata Bobokhidze, Marcela Calderón and Hsulynn Pang.

There is a wonderful variety of subject and tone, rhythm and rhyme which winds an imaginative path though humour, interaction, tenderness and beauty – they are perfect for sharing with this age group.

Teachers and parents – very much recommended. 5 Stars!

Posted in Poetry Review

And I Climbed And I Climbed and I Climbed by Stephen Lightbown: Poetry Review

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

This book is a series of poems written by Cosmo, a young boy, after he climbs a tree, falls and breaks his back.

It’s a journey though his ‘afterlife’ if you will – the shock and grief at the loss of what makes up childhood for him, and the deeper loss of who he felt himself to be, now part of his identity is a wheelchair. It’s hard to lose yourself in life when every aspect of your life comes back to – is it possible in a wheelchair?

But this is in no way a sad book of poems – although it’s an exploration in Cosmo’s beautifully written voice of coming to terms, which doesn’t shy away from addressing frustration, jealousy, or anger – it is full of humour, verisimilitude, and hope.

Cosmo finds ways other ways to climb – and steps metaphorically into his new way of life where he discovers exciting abilities, alternative ambitions, and new dreams, finally coming to the realisation that although he is in a wheelchair – he is still Cosmo.

I really enjoyed the truth of these poems – some things struck a note with me, for instance, the reliance on other people, something I have struggled with. The occasional poems from other members of his family and even the tree he climbed, look at other aspects of the journey and feelings from other points of view.

This is absolutely a book everyone and certainly every child should read, and they will certainly enjoy it! Lots to talk about and there are many discussion springboards for use in school, and with children who have suffered a life-changing incident in their lives.

5 Stars. Great Christmas present!

Posted in Poetry Review

Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek: Marshmallow Clouds

Posted on by Liz Brownlee
Marshmallow Clouds by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek, Walker Books, Illustrated by Richard Jones.

Every year I am invited to the CLiPPA award ceremony, and go with great anticipation, along with a host of other poets, to enjoy this fabulous celebratory occasion all about children’s poetry.

Last year I was shortlisted, so saw behind the scenes as it were, and it was a wonderfully enriching experience.

Each book is sent to schools who have signed up to the CLPE’s ‘shadowing’ project, and teachers make videos of their children reading and performing the poems in the shortlisted books. The winning performances are shown onstage at the National Theatre. The children always do a tremendous job and this year was no exception.

This book by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek was the winner for 2023! The poems are within the framework of the four elements – and each poem is within the frame of the page alongside, inside or part of a painting by Richard Jones. In spring there is a poem about birds following a plough, set into the sky of the landscape – the poem draws you into the vastness and the detail of the scene – and so does the painting.

The whole book is a triumph of expression – each art fertilises the other and produces something more than their pairing.

The poems are wonderful – with vivid language and wordplay, wit and imagination, they do not talk down to their young audience and each poem is imaginative and multifaceted enough to engage an adult audience also.

Very much recommended.

Posted in Poetry Review

Anthology: Our Earth is a Poem, Poetry About Nature

Posted on by Liz Brownlee
Our Earth is a Poem, Poems about Nature, by various authors, Little Tiger

It isn’t often I buy another copy of a book straight after reading it, so my grandson can also have it.

This exquisitely produced hardback book of poems by a range of excellent authors from around the world is also beautifully illustrated.

My dear friends and wonderful poets Sue Hardy-Dawson and Jan Dean are both in it, and add to its delight. Here is Jan’s poem (Jan is also a wonderful artist):

Colouring In

And staying inside the lines

Is fine, but…

I like it when stuff leaks –

When the blue bird and the blue sky

Are just one blur of blue flying,

And the feeling of the feathers in the air

And the wind along the blade of wing

Is a long gash of smudgy colour.

I like it when the flowers and the sunshine

Puddle red and yellow into orange,

The way the hot sun on my back

Lulls me – muddles me – sleepy

In the scented garden,

Makes me part of the picture…

Part of the place.

Jan Dean

As the garden makes Jan part of its picture, these are poems that make you part of themselves, the very best sort of poems.

Very much recommended.

Posted in Poetry Review

Val Harris: A Classroom of Stars

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

A perfectly pitched poetry book for primary level – Val Harris made me smile most of the way through this book. The poems have range and are well-written – and great fun.

I’m sure we’ll see Val being published soon by one of the big publishers – I hope so, anyway!

An excellent book for teachers to share in school.

Posted in Poetry Review

Matt Goodfellow: Let’s Chase Stars Together

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

Every poem in this collection, to misquote Samuel Coleridge, has the best words in the best order, and not a syllable wasted, or placed where there is no need for it. You won’t find empty filler lines here, no weak endings, no derivation. Each poem is precise and picture perfect.

Let’s Chase Stars Together, Bloomsbury Education, was very worthily a CLiPPA shortlisted book this year – the poems which really are ‘to lose yourself in’ are counterpointed by the spare illustrations by Oriol Vidal – just enough to add to the poetry, and nothing to detract.

Matt Goodfellow is at the top of the poetry tree, and I hope his poems continue to drop at this quality to nourish young minds for a long time to come.

This Morning in the Woods

this morning in the woods

as I wonder why the sky

must always fall so hard

I think of that joke you made

and laughter lands in my path

like a leaf

Matt Goodfellow

I think you can probably tell that I think you should rush out and buy this if you don’t have a copy already. Even if you do, get another and give it to someone. It’s lovely.

Posted in Poetry Review

Debra Bertulis: The Moon’s Gorgonzola Review

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

Debra’s second book, The Moon’s Gorgonzola, is published by Troika and illustrated by Zoe Williams. Here is the review of her debut collection, Where Do Wishes Go? , published by Otter-Barry Books, 2022.

The bigger text and charming illustrations make this a good fit for its Key Stage 1 audience, and Debra’s unerring talent for writing pertinent poems is fully realised; there are poems and performance poems, poems about holidays, first days at school, missing mum, lunchtime, teatime, time with granny, celebrations, and chocolate – perfect for this younger age group.

Debra has handily added performance and writing tips for teachers and children with some of the poems.

Definitely recommended for Key Stage 1!

Posted in Mental Health poems, Poetry Book Parade, Poetry Review

You Are Not Alone: Shauna Darling Robertson

Posted on by Liz Brownlee
You Are Not Alone, by Shauna Darling Robertson, Troika Books

There are not many poetry books for teenagers or young adults, and what teenagers and young adults need more than anything else is contained within the words of this book – acknowledgement, reassurance, help, recognition, acceptance, belonging, hope – along with things to think about, things to laugh about, things to wonder at, things to simply enjoy.

If only I’d had this book when I was a teenager.

To be able to recognise oneself in these poems, understand that many distressing, and enjoyable or frustrating emotions and experiences are almost universal, and if not universal, at least common, to be given the words to iterate one’s own experience, to be given permission to express oneself, to be given the gift of welcome into the human experience and know that one is not alone – oh, how much our young people need these poems for wellbeing and mental health.

These are poems to fortify the teenage years.

This book is HIGHLY recommended. Please go out immediately and buy one for your local teenager, if you don’t have one in the house.

5 BIG SHINY Stars

Posted in Poetry Review

Poetry Review: Colin West, Batty Ballads

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

I have spoken before about the delightful Colin West and his poems – his picture books, which were a favourite with my children, still remain on my shelves and will soon be available for my new grandson, when he’s old enough.

This review is about Barmy Ballads, which is his latest book. Refreshingly at odds with most poetry books today, the poems are longer, poem stories, and all take you on a ride through completely hilarious absurdity, richly and charmingly added to with details by Colin’s trade-mark style illustrations (all in colour!).

Where else would you find a poem entitled ‘Some Stuff in a Sack’? Or a tale of ‘Granny’s Green’s’, in which granny grows enormous vegetables of all descriptions on… well, I can’t tell you where, as that would spoil the ending.

My favourite poems are ‘A Crusty Loaf of Bread’, in which Winifred’s journey round a supermarket sadly echoes my own experiences, and ‘The Story of Fergus MacPherson’, whose opinion of himself is belied by one of Colin’s brilliant illustrations.

I look forward to a bit of silliness whenever I see there is a new poem on Colin’s Twitter feed – if you want to follow him he is @mooseandmouse.

If you like poems with masterful rhymes and ridiculousness, then this is the book for you!

Posted in Poetry Review

Christmas Present Poetry Review: Things That Should Be in a Poem, by Coral Rumble

Posted on by Liz Brownlee
Things That Should Be in a Poem, by Coral Rumble, Illustrated by Shih-Yu Lin, Troika Poetry

Coral is a master poet for children and it really shows in this splendid book for younger primary children.

Precise descriptions full of sound and texture and rhyme make each poem a delight – they twinkle on the page, and are delicious to read aloud.

From the day-to-day contents of every child’s life, though the surreal to the absurd, each poem is a morsel of loveliness and you could not possibly want better to enthuse children with language and creativity and depth of thought than this gorgeously illustrated (by Shih-Yu Lin) book.

I’m afraid I didn’t have a jpeg of this book, so had to take a photo, so this by no means shows how lovely the book is, but this is a sample of one of the poems.

This is a must for your primary child, it should be in every school, 5 stars!

Posted in Poetry Review

Poetry Review: The Red Ear Blows Its Nose by Robert Schechter

Posted on by Liz Brownlee
The Red Ear Blows Its Nose by Robert Schechter, Illustrated by S. Federico, World Galaxy Press (AMP)

Well now – this is a FEAST of words at play, and it is SUCH fun. I haven’t read a book of poems like this for a long time – as a child this would have been one of my favourites, I know it would.

It’s like reading poems by a mixture of Ogden Nash (a big favourite in this house, a poet also from over the pond) and Ronnie Barker, an exercise and pleasure for your brain, tongue and funny bone.

This is inventive, original, and wonderfully executed. RECOMMENDED with a lot of stars.

However, having got you all extremely excited to buy it, it sadly does not come out until 7 April 2023 – BUT you can pre-order and I suggest you do. A love of words is BOUND to come out of reading this as a child.

Posted in Poetry Review

Review: Where Do Wishes Go, by Debra Bertulis

Posted on by Liz Brownlee
Where Do Wishes Go, Debra Bertulis, Otter-Barry Books

Beautifully illustrated (as is usual with Otter-Barry Books) by Jess Mason, this is Debra Bertulis’ first book.

Where Do Wishes Go? is packed with poems on many of the themes that concern primary school children – such as the death of a grandparent, homework, moving house, and it also includes further experiences that will never be common to all – being a carer, having to move country and learn a new language.

Many of the poems in this book could be used as springboards by teachers and parents to discuss experiences in the lives of children in their care.

There is a lot of humour however – and an overall lightness to the collection that embodies the ‘feel’ of the title, and there are poems that are more whimsical, such as the poem from which the title is drawn.

Here are some examples:

Thinking Places and To Be a Tree, by Debra Bertulis, Where Do Wishes Go, Otter-Barry Books

Recommended!

Posted in Poetry Review

Review: Courage in a Poem, Poetry about Empowerment, Little Tiger.

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

This lovely hardback book from Little Tiger contains relatively few poems, but those it does contain punch above their weight.

The book is BURSTING with a poetic celebration of all the things that courage brings, by a range of excellent poets, among them Naomi Shihab Nye, one of my favourites, and it also features my wonderful book writing buddies, Matt Goodfellow and Laura Mucha. The poems are all gorgeous, life-affirming and heart-warming.

It is Illustrated by four fantastic artists in colours that zing and sing from the page alongside the poems. Here are some examples:

My Sari by Debjani Chatterjee, from Courage in a Poem, Little Tiger.
Your Epic Self, by Kate Wakeling, from Courage in a Poem, Little Tiger
I did it, by Valerie Bloom (winner of CLiPPA 2022)

I heartily recommend this for reading to all youngsters – it would make a fantastic choice for the classroom as well. 5 stars!

Posted in Poetry in Education, Poetry Review, Poetry Teaching Book

Catalysts, by Pie Corbett: Review

Posted on by Liz Brownlee

Pie Corbett is an excellent poet – but he is also an excellent teacher of poetry and from poetry, and is a fount of imaginative teaching ideas that WORK to help children express themselves in poetry or prose. He created the Talk for Writing approach to learning, which is widely used in UK primary schools.

This is more than a manual for teachers – it is a book full of magic and wonder, it shines with Pie’s enthusiasm for poetry, teaching and inspiring children as writers – his dedication in the front to his wife states: “We have striven to develop storytelling, creative writing, art, music and dance. Our belief is that the creative arts bring joy, enhance who we are and how we live. The arts bind us together in our common humanity, helping us to take a step out of the darkness of ourselves and let in the light.”

I don’t really need to say any more than this book really is brimful of catalysts, laid out clearly with poems, ideas, examples, and instructions that are easy to follow – which will make Pie’s own triumphs with inspiring children’s writing replicable.

It’s a book I heartily recommend – not only to teachers but to poets, and anyone wanting to be a poet. Five stars from me!

Only available here: TalkforWriting

Posted in Poetry Book Parade, Poetry Review

Review: Nutty Nonsense and Children’s Literature Festivals!

Posted on by Liz Brownlee
Nutty Nonsense, poems and illustrations by Colin West, published by Poems and Pictures Limited

What do poems of nutty nonsense and children’s literature festivals have in common? They both entertain, amuse and inspire children to read, of course!

Christina Gabbitas is the amazing founder of Children’s Literature Festivals – she says: “We organise children’s literature festivals for children and families from all backgrounds, cultures and abilities in less privileged areas FREE”.

There can be no doubt that listening to or watching a real, live author perform is truly inspirational for children. There is information about the events and fund-raising to enable this important work on this Facebook page: Children’s Literature Festivals

Colin West is an exceptionally talented poet and illustrator, who has entertained children and parents for many years with his absurd wordplay and nonsense. All profits from Colin’s new book are to be donated to this excellent cause.

You will not be disappointed – the book is not only packed to the gills with daft, clever and giggle-provoking poems, it is also chock-a-block full of Colin’s charming and hilarious illustrations.

You can buy it here for £6:99 – Nutty Nonsense by Colin West, it’s out on 02/02/22 on #WorldReadAloudDay.

Here’s a sample I photographed from the book – you can read more about Colin West here.