Newest Children's Rhymes and Verse Reviews
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A Treasury of Songs by Julia Donaldson and Axel SchefflerSome people have all the skills, not only is Julia Donaldson one of the most successful children's authors, she can also carry a tune. For the past few years she has adapted many of her most popular stories into songs and plays them during open readings, or releases them as part of a song book. For the first time A Treasury of Songs brings together several of her books in one omnibus and it also has a CD too of Donaldson singing the songs. Full Review |
See You Later, Escalator by John Foster
Always a sucker for a good poetry anthology here at Bookbag, we've enjoyed two previous collections from John Foster. See You Later, Escalator continues in the same vein, with poems from the likes of Tony Mitton, Michael Rosen, Michelle Magorian and Brian Patten. Full review...
There's A Lion In My Bathroom by Giles Paley-Phillips
This collection of nonsense poetry takes in all sorts of subjects, from wannabe magicians to armpits, and from failed cowboys to a girl with springs for feet. It's all very silly, all very nonsensical, and good fun. A proportion of profits are being donated to Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. Full review...
There's An Alien In The Classroom by Gervase Phinn
There's An Alien In The Classroom is a collection of school-based poems, and poems aimed at school-age children. Taking in all forms, from limericks and cautionary verse, to acrostics and haiku, it offers a broad overview of poetry. With themes including school, families, seasons, Bonfire Night, Nativity plays and going to the dentist, there's something to appeal to every child. Full review...
The Orchard Book Of Nursery Rhymes For Your Baby by Penny Dann
All your favourite nursery rhymes are here, from Hickory Dickory Dock, through Little Bo Peep and Three Blind Mice, to Sing A Song Of Sixpence. With over sixty nursery rhymes to choose from, all the big names are presented in a beautiful compendium that you'll treasure for years. Full review...
Michael Rosen's Big Book of Bad Things by Michael Rosen
When he was little, Michael Rosen's dad remembered all the bad things he'd done and reminded him of them when appropriate, so Michael imagined he'd written them all down in a Big Book of Bad Things. Here he presents the eponymous poem, as well as many many other tales of childhood, from the horrors of being a second late to school, to making a raft, to going to a café. Some bad, some sad, some quirky, some funny, some touching, some light-hearted, all wonderful. Full review...
The World At Our Feet by Paul Cookson
With the World Cup just around the corner, football is on everyone's lips. Paul Cookson, Poet in Residence at the National Football Museum, has compiled the best football poems for young children. Full review...
Whizz Bang Orang-Utan by John Foster
Subtitled rhymes for the very young, you know what you're getting with Whizz Bang Orang-Utan. It's a poetry anthology, with sweet poems about kids, what they get up to, and of course whizzing and banging orang-utans. Full review...
In My Sky at Twilight by Gaby Morgan (editor)
Off the back of the success of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series there has been a boom in vampire novels aimed at teenagers. In My Sky at Twilight is perhaps one of the most unusual books to come out of this craze as it is a collection of love poetry aimed at teenage fans of the series. Full review...
The Walrus and the Carpenter and Other Favourite Poems by Children's Trust
Celebrities, including Richard Hammond, Paul O'Grady, Sienna Miller, McFly and Lorraine Kelly, have chosen their favourite poems for this anthology. All proceeds from the book go to The Children's Trust. It's a fantastic charity, who help disabled children, and I urge you all to buy a copy of The Walrus and the Carpenter to support them. Full review...
A To Z - The Best Children's Poetry From Agard To Zephaniah by Michael Rosen
Michael Rosen has picked the best modern children's poetry, from John Agard through to Benjamin Zephaniah. It stemmed from Rosen performing in schools and libraries with many of the poets, and as children's poetry anthologies go, it's amongst the very best. Full review...
Jim, Who Ran Away From His Nurse and Was Eaten By A Lion by Hilaire Belloc and Mini Grey
Hilaire Belloc's Cautionary Tales For Children are rightly lauded as classics. Mini Grey (also rightly lauded), has illustrated one of these fine tales, so that a new generation of children can discover just what happens when you run away from your nurse and a lion eats you. Pay attention kids. Full review...
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Other Nursery Favourites by Mandy Stanley
Every small child should have book (or a few) containing traditional nursery rhymes, and every so often newly illustrated collections are published.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is part of such a new series called Time for a Rhyme, published by Harper Collins and illustrated by Mandy Stanley known for her Lettice stories and other picture books. Full review...
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T S Eliot
In 1939, TS Eliot's cat poems for his godchildren were first published. Seventy years and an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical later, they're republished here, complete with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, best known for his work on The Gruffalo. Full review...
The Magical World of Milligan by Spike Milligan
Some people you just have to love. It's the law. Spike Milligan was always fantastic, and he's much missed. He's got the perfect mix of nonsense, heart, and surreal humour. He speaks to people of all ages, and he's just plain lovely. Full review...
New and Collected Poems for Children by Carol Ann Duffy
Sometimes the title is all the introduction you need: Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy's 'New and Collected Poems for Children'. Full review...
Higglety Pigglety Pop! And Other First Poems by Harry Horse
A poetry anthology that includes Edward Lear, Spike Milligan, AA Milne, Lewis Carroll and Michael Rosen is immediately worth a look. They're timeless classics that everyone has read and has had read to them. Full review...
Noisy Poems by Debi Gliori
Any book of poetry that starts with Spike Milligan and ends with Roger McGough will get the thumbs up from me. Noisy Poems is full of just that: poems about sounds, with trucks honking, ducks quacking, trains clickety-clacking and shoes squeaking. It's awash with alliteration and rhythm. It's crying out to be read aloud and joined in with. Full review...
Twinkle Twinkle Chocolate Bar by John Foster
I was recently subjected to a good 20 minutes of the rude version of Happy Birthday in Catalan, even though it was neither my birthday nor am I Catalan. I responded with the ol' squashed tomatoes and stew version that we all know and love, for a very restrained 15 minutes. Twinkle Twinkle Chocolate Bar is packed full of such things. Kids love those sort of rhymes, and childish adults love 'em too. Whilst Twinkle Twinkle Chocolate Bar isn't exactly rude, it does have a cheeky glint in its eye, a muddy splash on its new shoes, and gleeful laughter throughout. Full review...
