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Find out moreChildren love poetry. Perfect for sharing at bedtime, fun time and for children to read alone. Always inspirational; collections of poetry will take the reader into another world.
Shortlisted for the CLiPPA (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award) 2021 | A collection of new nursery rhymes, this is a book for parents and adults to share with the very youngest to spark a lifelong love of poetry. The judges call it a perfect post-lockdown book, allowing adults and small children to connect and share poems. It’s beautifully presented and perfectly illustrated.
October 2021 Book of the Month | Follow a herd of elephants across the savannah as they trek to water, guided by the matriarch's memories of more verdant times gone by. Told in gentle rhyming verse, this is a follow-up to What Did the Tree See? from the same team. There is lots of extra non-fiction content on African elephants, the challenges of habitat loss and poaching, how rangers and elephant orphanages are helping, and what we can do to help too.
October 2021 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2021 | For all those who are already fans of Roald’s Dahl’s awesome stories and for newcomers to them, this is a splendid introduction to some of the favourite characters and the most dramatic, hilarious, spinechilling and adventuresome stories that are his storytelling legacy. Following a brief account of Roald Dahl’s childhood and his famous writing shed, 15 of his top titles are cleverly explored through their main characters and the key features of the stories. There is James and his extraordinary crew from the awesome travelling peach in James and the Giant Peach; the delightful Charlie Bucket whose winning ticket takes him to Mr Wonka’s astonishing chocolate factory and a heap of adventures with some less lovely children including Veruca Salt and Augustus Gloop; the delightful Danny and his father and some fabulous pheasant poaching plots and the truly horrible Mr and Mrs Twit who have a whole book to themselves. The battle between Matilda and the awful Miss Trunchbull, the BFG’s encounter with the Queen and the utterly terrifying Witches – all of these and more are brought to life in these brief retellings which make clever use of letters, recipes and newspaper clippings. As in the originals, all are fabulously illustrated by Quentin Blake. The inclusion of an activity pack adds an interactive element to the book and enhances enjoyment of it.
September 2021 Book of the Month | The opening poem in Joshua Seigal’s sparkling new collection invites readers to ‘fill the world with words’, and he does a very good job of doing just that in poems that represent his audience’s world perfectly. Here are poems about classrooms, playtime, grandparents, chocolate biscuits – all just right to read aloud and deliciously easy to remember. There are poems that deliver jokes, poems that play with sense and their shape, poems that sneak in deeper meanings too as they describe familiar emotions. One thing is for certain, everyone will find a favourite in this collection, a poem they’ll want to read to someone else. It ends with a selection of Seigal’s tips for children on writing poetry and I think lots of readers will be inspired to add their own poems to the world as a result.
“Nut loved his sister and Leaf loved her brother, but everyone knew they were NOT like each other!” So the scene is set for Lu Fraser’s glorious rhyming ode to being yourself, a cheering, amusing tale that’s brilliantly brought to live by Mark McKinley’s simply stunning illustrations - they’re a veritable rainbow of energy and characterful detail. While adventurous Leaf loves to shoot her bow and swim icy lakes, Nut has no outdoor pursuits skills whatsoever. Rather, he prefers to bake, and harbours a secret passion for “slicing and dicing and mixing and whisking and really pink icing!” All of which means, come Viking Sports Day, Nut’s contribution is something of a disaster, until he hurls his cake in the Great Throwing Race and Chief Olaf recognises his culinary talents. Great fun, and there’s no arguing with its wise, warm-hearted message - “happiness comes when you just be yourself.”
“Nut loved his sister and Leaf loved her brother, but everyone knew they were NOT like each other!” So the scene is set for Lu Fraser’s glorious rhyming ode to being yourself, a cheering, amusing tale that’s brilliantly brought to live by Mark McKinley’s simply stunning illustrations - they’re a veritable rainbow of energy and characterful detail. While adventurous Leaf loves to shoot her bow and swim icy lakes, Nut has no outdoor pursuits skills whatsoever. Rather, he prefers to bake, and harbours a secret passion for “slicing and dicing and mixing and whisking and really pink icing!” All of which means, come Viking Sports Day, Nut’s contribution is something of a disaster, until he hurls his cake in the Great Throwing Race and Chief Olaf recognises his culinary talents. Great fun, and there’s no arguing with its wise, warm-hearted message - “happiness comes when you just be yourself.”
From the team which brought you the critically acclaimed If All the World Were… we have an inspirational story about finding your voice, both literally and metaphorically. The lyrical text and expressive images capture the intense anxiety of the shy protagonist who never speaks in school and also the transformative power of a good teacher. The illustrations show us the colour, vivacity and joy which Miss Flotsam brings to the classroom and the creativity which she inspires. Getting the child engaged in responding to poetry is the first step into unlocking her feelings and revealing what she needs to say. Gradually and cleverly building confidence and ensuring a nurturing atmosphere in the classroom, Miss Flotsam supports the child until she is ready to read her words aloud. The visual representation of creativity is so well done and is a perfect match for the carefully considered words. This lovely story has a powerful message of resilience, courage and determination and will encourage all children to unlock their potential.
With wordplay, riddles and poems that are funny, fast-paced, lyrical and thought-provoking, this is an exciting debut from an outstanding new poet. Rachel Rooney's prize-winning debut poetry collection, first published in 2011, is now reissued by Otter-Barry books by popular demand, for a new generation of children. The CLPE judges said: ‘These poems have a subtle distinctive speaking voice, lighting up shifts of thought and feeling that young readers will recognize but that clichés would conceal. Rachel Rooney relishes and shares the craft of poetry; gradually you spot exacting games of form and language beneath a surface that seems simple enough for youngest readers to approach, and the poems will grow in the reader’s mindwith re-reading, year by year.’
A charming, witty ode to everyone’s favourite pet by Lo Cole – the acclaimed author and illustrator of the unique and captivating interactive counting book, Ten on a Twig. The funny, rhyming text accompanied by delightfully bold illustrations takes us through twenty-seven unexpected and amusing varieties of dog that you could have; “One that begs? One that sheds? One that rips things into shreds?” A stylish picture book that celebrates the good and bad of our perfectly imperfect companions, this is the perfect gift for dog lovers of any age.
Cat has a favourite yellow mat in which he takes great delight. But then Rat comes along with a very desirable favourite very pink hat. Suddenly Cat wants Rat’s hat, too, and when Bat comes along with a fabulously fancy cravat both Cat and Rat snatch for it eagerly…How will the cat, rat, hat, mat, bat and cravat all end up? Matt Hunt’s vivid illustrations capture the playfulness of this simple and wholly enjoyable rhyming story that makes great play of repeated sounds.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month July 2021 | Cat has a favourite yellow mat in which he takes great delight. But then Rat comes along with a very desirable favourite very pink hat. Suddenly Cat wants Rat’s hat, too, and when Bat comes along with a fabulously fancy cravat both Cat and Rat snatch for it eagerly…How will the cat, rat, hat, mat, bat and cravat all end up? Matt Hunt’s vivid illustrations capture the playfulness of this simple and wholly enjoyable rhyming story that makes great play of repeated sounds.
‘Lawn-prowler, mist-parter’ wind is small and weak at the beginning of this lyrical, gorgeously illustrated picture book. But, ‘heat-snatcher, pressure-catcher’, it borrows strength from the Earth and with a huff and a puff, grows big and strong, sweeping across the globe, snatching up a seed and helicoptering it far and wide, across oceans and deserts to eventually deposit it in the Amazon soil, ‘like a flag on a newly found moon’. Dom Conlon’s poet-perfect words whirl and fly as light and powerful as the wind, while Anastasia Izlesou’s sumptuous, atmospheric illustrations slide in a page turn from the heat of a sandstorm in Chad to the darkness of an Atlantic storm and the uncontrolled wild beauty of a Florida hurricane. A page of Wind Facts delves into words and ideas that might be unfamiliar, and this is both informative and inspiring.
