Ten of the Best New Children’s Poetry


As National Poetry Day 4 October approaches, Charlotte Hacking explains why children’s poetry is worth celebrating and chooses ten recent collections to inspire a lifelong love of the form


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There are so many reasons to be optimistic about the future of children’s poetry. Not only are we seeing an increasing amount of children’s poetry being published, but there has also been a significant shift in the quality of the production values in recent years. This has made choosing only ten books for this list a virtually impossible task. I’m cheating slightly here by making a couple of extra recommendations for some other wonderful books that link with other texts I’ve recommended. I hope that there will be something here for everyone.


A Great Big Cuddle


Michael Rosen, illustrated by Chris Riddell, Walker, 978-1406373462 £10.99 pbk


I cannot think of a more perfect collection to introduce for the youngest children to the joys of poetry.


Beautifully produced by


Walker, its oversized pages make it ideal for sharing with an adult or in a group. Sumptuous illustrations from the unmistakable hand of Chris


Riddell add depth to the reader’s engagement with the text. A rich mix of poems that play with words and sounds, engage young readers with rhythms and rhymes and show that poetry can tell a story or share our feelings. Poems that children will want to join in with, move to and talk about..


The Dragon with a Big Nose


Kathy Henderson, Frances Lincoln, 978- 1847803658, £6.99


This is a collection I have come back to time and time again. It’s a rare commodity, a single poet collection for younger children that explores a range and breadth of forms and styles, taking them from the familiar comfort of rhythm and rhymes to the idea that poetry doesn’t always have to rhyme and introducing more sophisticated poetic devices such as assonance, imagery and metaphor. The focus on familiar


themes; environment, people, animals, the lure of fantasy in dragons and monsters in a voice that is authentic means that there are poems in this collection for every child to enjoy.


Charlotte Hacking is Learning Programme Manager at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, a charity working to improve literacy in primary schools.


characters, A Kid in My Class


Rachel Rooney, illustrated by Chris Riddell, Otter-Barry Books, 978- 1910959879, £10.99 hbk


Rachel Rooney gives a masterclass of her own in poetic form throughout this unique collection. As the poems all centre around different children, children will quickly see themselves or parts


of themselves


in one or a combination of the carefully crafted characters. The poems cover a range of characters and, in turn, emotions, so there’s plenty in here to make children,


laugh, cry, consider and empathise. The collection has added appeal due to the distinctive and captivating illustrations of Chris Riddell, which work with the poems to make us feel like we know the children; like they really are just kids in our class.


Moon Juice


Kate Wakeling, illustrated by Elena Braslina ,The Emma Press, 978-1910139493, £8.50 pbk


familiar experiences,


Kate Wakeling’s musicality flows throughout the poems in this collection, showing a consistent sensitivity to the rhythm and power of language. There is a fantastic range of subject matter, style and form, giving subtle insight into the interests of the poet and her fascination with language. Throughout the collection, children are introduced to colourful powerful imagery, rich and


descriptive language and themes from the familiar, to the traditional to the emotive and the fantastical. What is also wonderful is that as much thought has been given to given to how the words work on the page as off. For younger readers, this musicality is also central to the poems in James Carter’s Zim Zam Zoom (Otter-Barry Books).


Many of the books on this list have been shortlisted for or have won Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award (CLiPPA). Find out more about the award and access materials including videos of poet performances at: https://clpe.org.uk/poetryline.


10 Books for Keeps No.232 September 2018


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