R is for Children’s Poets John Rice, John H Rice, Rachel Rooney, Michael Rosen, and Coral Rumble #AtoZChallenge #ZtoA

Liz Brownlee ♦ April 11, 2018 ♦ 6 Comments

Coral Rumble

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Coral Rumble

Coral Rumble has worked as a poet and performer for may years and now specialises in writing and performing for children. She has three collections, Creatures, Teachers and Family Features, Breaking the Rules, illustrated by Nigel Baines, and My Teacher’s as Wild as a Bison, also illustrated by Nigel Baines, and has poems in over 100 anthologies for young people. She performs and gives workshops art centres, books shops, libraries, theatres and festivals, has worked as a writer and poetry consultant for the BBC, and is one of the writers for the CBeebies TV programme, Poetry Pie. Her website is here.

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Here is a favourite poem of Coral’s:

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RIDING A LION

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I dreamt of riding a lion, a fast one,

A fierce one, with a flash of wildness in his eyes.

I could feel his tented ribs with my clinging knees.

 

I dreamt he leapt and flew, huge wings spreading,

His deep growl rumbling like a well-oiled engine.

My fingers curled into a tangle around his mane.

 

I dreamt he swooped a deep dive, a daring dive,

A dizzy dive, against the roaring wind,

And I didn’t even close my eyes in fear.

 

I dreamt he landed on an island, a golden one,

Where all the lions fly, and children ride

On their warm backs, clutching the edge of danger.

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© Coral Rumble

 

Michael Rosen

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Michael Rosen

Michael Rosen was born in 1946 in Harrow, Middlesex. Many of Michael’s early books were about his life between 2 and 12, and his son Joe filmed Michael performing all the poems from The Hypnotiser; see here. His first book for children in 1974 was called Mind Your Own Business, and was illustrated wonderfully by Quentin Blake. Michael is still writing books, performing and running workshops in schools, libraries and theatres, as well as many other activities such as teaching teachers to teach poetry. His latest children’s poetry book, Jelly Boots Smelly Boots, illustrated by David Tazzyman, is here. His website is here.

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The first thing I think about when I think of Michael Rosen is chocolate cake, because of his wonderful poem. What a fabulous thing to be associated with! Here is another of his amazing poems:

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Heathrow

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I’m a suitcase

in the attic all year

I’m a suitcase

stuffed full of gear

I’m a suitcase

crammed in a hold

I’m a suitcase

freezing cold

 

Well yes…

 

I may be a suitcase

but I want to be free

I want to go to the beach,

and swim in the sea

I want to go to the mountains

and learn how to ski

I want to hear music

dance and shout

You leave me in the room

when you go out.

But I don’t want to be baggage

It’s not what I want to be.

I’m a suitcase

and I want to be free.

 

Next trip you take

you’re in for a shock

I may be quiet

shut tight with a lock

But while you’re out

enjoying the sun

I’ll escape

I’ll be on the run

A suitcase on the move

looking for fun.

I’ll be that suitcase

Yes, that’ll be me

I’m a suitcase

who wants to be free.

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© Michael Rosen

Rachel Rooney

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Rachel Rooney

RacheI Rooney’s poetry collection The Language of Cat, latest edition illustrated by Ellie Jenkins, won the CLPE Poetry Award and was long-listed for the Carnegie Medal. Her second collection My Life as a Goldfish, Illustrated by Ellie Jenkins, was shortlisted for the CLiPPA 2015. Her forthcoming book A Kid in My Class, illustrated by Chris Riddell will be published by Otter-Barry Books in 2018. She visits schools for workshops with pupils and has performed her work at festivals and for The Children’s Bookshow. She was Chair of Judges for the CLiPPA 2017 and the Betjeman Poetry Prize. Her website is here.

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Here is one of her wonderful poems:

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Who?

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Who cast the P from a spell

sold it for profit as sell,

then kept what was left

in a locked letter chest?

 

And who sucked the O from a hoop,

hopped off with that loop

which she balanced for fun

on the tip of her tongue?

 

Who stole the E from a cheat

in the street when they met for a chat,

slipped her hand in a bag

and made off with the swag?

 

Then who plucked the T from a thorn,

carved an ivory pen out of horn

and dipped it in ink…

Well, who do you think did that?

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© Rachel Rooney (From The Language of Cat, Francis Lincoln Books)

John H Rice

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John H Rice

How many children’s poets called John Rice do you need? It turns out it’s TWO! J. H. Rice has spent thirty years working in primary education. He has worked as a teacher, headteacher, assessor, teacher trainer and writer in education and has long held a passion for children’s poetry.  Appearing in anthologies published both nationally and internationally, he thinks of his own poems as small creatures: some are quite tame but others are not entirely trustworthy. His website is here.

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Here is a great hippopoem by him:

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Hippopotamouse

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Beware the hippopotamouse
Ignore his toothsome grin
If you ever hear him knocking
You must not let him in

He’ll soon invite all of his friends –
They’ll be there in a trice
And no-one wants a house that’s full
Of hippopotamice

They’ll seize your cheese, they’ll gnaw your floor
They’ll make a dreadful fuss;
Worse than this, the holes they make are
Hippopot-anormous

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© John H Rice

John Rice

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John Rice

John Rice is a Scottish poet who writes for both children and adults. He has published 12 collections including Bears Don’t Like Bananas and Dreaming of Dinosaurs which were illustrated by Charles Fuge. His most recent book for children was Guzzling Jelly with Giant Gorbelly. He is a regular contributor to anthologies and his poems have been used in educational exams all over the world. During the Robert Burns 250th anniversary celebrations (2008-2010) he was Poet-in-Residence in Glasgow. He has been Chair of the Society of Authors’ Authors North group and a member of the Society’s Poetry & Spoken Word Group. John’s website is here.

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Here is one of John’s lovely poems:

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Dazzledance

 

I have an eye of silver,

I have an eye of gold,

I have a tongue of reed-grass

and a story to be told.

 

I have a hand of metal,

I have a hand of clay,

I have two arms of granite

and a song for every day.

 

I have a foot of damson,

I have a foot of corn,

I have two legs of leaf-stalk

and a dance for every morn.

 

I have a dream of water,

I have a dream of snow,

I have a thought of wildfire

and a harp-string long and low.

 

I have an eye of silver,

I have an eye of gold,

I have a tongue of reed-grass

and a story to be told.

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© John Rice