AtoZ Challenge; S is for Roger Stevens
Roger Stevens is a National Poetry Day Ambassador, a founding member of the Able Writers scheme and runs the award-winning website www.poetryzone.co.uk for children and teachers, which has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Roger (link to 3 Simple Steps to Perk up your Poems) has published 40 books for children. His book Apes to Zebras – an A to Z of Shape Poems (Bloomsbury) won the prestigious NSTB award in 2018. Recent books include The Same Inside; poems about empathy and friendship (Macmillan 2018), The Waggiest Tails; poems written by dogs (Otter-Barry 2018) and I Am a Jigsaw; Puzzling Poems to Baffle your Brain (Bloomsbury 2019). A book just published is Moonstruck; an Anthology of Moon Poems (Otter-Barry), in August there will be Be the Change; Poems About Sustainability (Macmillan) and there will be a “best of” collection later in 2019. Roger spends his time between the Loire, in France, and Brighton, where he lives with his wife and a very shy dog called Jasper.
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Here is the funny poem Roger sent for the poetry feast:
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Escape Plan
.
As I, Stegosaurus
stand motionless
in the Natural History museum
I am secretly planning
my escape.
At noon
Pterodactyl
will cause a diversion
by wheeling around the museum’s high ceilings
and diving at the curators and museum staff
while I
quietly slip out of the fire exit
and melt
into the Kensington crowds
.
© Roger Stevens
From The Monster That Ate the Universe, Macmillan 2004
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
If you’d like to blog hop to another AtoZ Challenge post please try this link.
#AtoZ Challenge, U is for Useless by A F Harrold
A.F. Harrold is a children’s author and children’s poet who writes and performs for both grown ups and children. He can often be found in school halls pointing at children and sharing his poems, and even more often in the bath, thinking them up… His latest wonderful poetry book is Things You Find in a Poet’s Beard, illustrated by Chris Riddell in my favourite colour. A. F.’s Website is here and Twitter here.
Here is the brilliant poem beginning with ‘U’ that A. F. has sent for the Poetry Feast:
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Useless
I feel as useful as a kipper that’s been kept in a kettle,
as useful as a conker in your socks,
as useful as a top hat that’s been stuffed with orange jelly
and then balanced on the head of a fox.
I feel as useful as an ostrich on the number eighteen bus,
as useful as a desert in a pool,
as useful as a sausage that you’ve asked for assistance
with the homework that you’ve brought home from school.
I feel as useful as a cabbage that’s learnt to play cricket,
as useful as a llama on the moon,
as useful as a trifle that is sitting on the sideboard
saying ‘Eat me’ out of sight of a spoon.
But enough about me,
let’s talk about you…
.
© A.F. Harrold
If you would like to blog hop to the next AtoZ Challenge post, please follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
AtoZChallenge; T is for Nick Toczek
Nick Toczek is a British writer and performer who has had more than forty books and dozens of recording published. As well as being a poet, he’s a rock journalist (for the magazine RnR), a radio broadcaster with his own week show (on BCB Radio), a professional magician and puppeteer, and an authority on the activities of racist groups in the UK and in America. His Authors Abroad page is here, and his brand new website is here.
Here is the lovely poem Nick has sent for the Poetry Feast:
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GROWING
A branch begins as a twig.
A piglet becomes a pig.
When I’m older, I’ll be big,
Biggerty, biggerty, big.
An elephant starts off small,
And little bricks build a wall.
When I’m older, I’ll be tall,
Tiggerty, tiggerty, tall.
Maybe a baby just cries
Yet learns with its ears and eyes.
When I’m older, I’ll be wise,
Wiggerty, wiggerty, wise.
Our legs and our arms get long,
Grow muscles where they belong.
When I’m older, I’ll be strong,
Striggerty, striggerty, strong.
And anyone can be cruel,
A bully, a beast, a fool.
When I’m older, I’ll be cool,
Kiggerty, kiggerty, cool.
© Nick Toczek
If you would like to blog hop to the next AtoZ Challenge poet then follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change Blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
AtoZ Challenge; S is for Roger Stevens
Roger Stevens is a National Poetry Day Ambassador, a founding member of the Able Writers scheme and runs the award-winning website www.poetryzone.co.uk for children and teachers, which has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Roger (link to 3 Simple Steps to Perk up your Poems) has published 40 books for children. His book Apes to Zebras – an A to Z of Shape Poems (Bloomsbury) won the prestigious NSTB award in 2018. Recent books include The Same Inside; poems about empathy and friendship (Macmillan 2018), The Waggiest Tails; poems written by dogs (Otter-Barry 2018) and I Am a Jigsaw; Puzzling Poems to Baffle your Brain (Bloomsbury 2019). Books planned for 2019 include Moonstruck; an Anthology of Moon Poems (Otter-Barry), Be the Change; Poems About Sustainability (Macmillan) and a “best of” collection. Roger spends his time between the Loire, in France, and Brighton, where he lives with his wife and a very shy dog called Jasper.
.
Here is the funny poem Roger sent for the poetry feast:
.
Escape Plan
.
As I, Stegosaurus
stand motionless
in the Natural History museum
I am secretly planning
my escape.
At noon
Pterodactyl
will cause a diversion
by wheeling around the museum’s high ceilings
and diving at the curators and museum staff
while I
quietly slip out of the fire exit
and melt
into the Kensington crowds
.
© Roger Stevens
From The Monster That Ate the Universe, Macmillan 2004
If you would like to blog hop to the next AtoZ Challenge post then follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
#AtoZ Challenge; R is for Coral Rumble
Coral Rumble has worked as a poet and performer for many 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. Her website is here.
Here is the lovely poem Coral has sent for the Poetry Feast – it also has an ‘R’ in the title!
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LOOKING FOR RILEY
Riley had dragged the emptiness to school.
It would seem wrong to leave it in his bedroom
Where he had filled silent spaces with sobs.
Grandma had gone, but her songs hung in the air,
Small memories, pockets of comfort.
And now, in a dusty corner of the PE cupboard,
Riley sat and rocked and clutched his knees,
Resting his chin on his shiny, worn trousers
Stretching over his bent legs, hiding away
From questions he’d be asked, but couldn’t answer.
They were all looking for Riley, the teachers, Mrs Moore.
They would try to wipe his grief away, catch his tears
Before they hit the ground, before they made a mark
In the dust, before they stopped falling of their own accord.
So I hid with him, and somehow, it made him smile.
© Coral Rumble
If you would like to blog hop to the next AtoZ Challenge post then follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
#AtoZ Challenge; Q is for Queens by Chrissie Gittins
Chrissie Gittins is an award-winning poetry writer for children and adults. She has been visiting schools as a poet for over 20 years, is an experienced teacher and has read at festivals all over Great Britain. Chrissie has written 5 children’s poetry collections. Now You See Me, Now You…, illustrated by Gunnlavg Moen, and I Don’t Want an Avocado, illustrated by Kev Adamson, were shortlisted for the CLPE Poetry Award, and Stars in Jars, A&C Black. Her latest book is Adder, Bluebell, Lobster, illustrated by Paul Bommer. The children’s poetry page of her website is here.
This is the poem Chrissie has sent for Q – which appears in her book, Stars in Jars:
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Queens
for Tess
.
One day, while out walking,
the Queen Of Asking Stupid Questions met
the Queen Of Stating The Obvious.
“Are you walking to Town?” asked the Queen Of Asking.
“This is such a long road,” said the Queen Of Stating,
peering at the spires in the distance.
The sky was purple and grey.
“Will it rain, do you think?” asked the Queen Of Asking.
“This umbrella is full of holes,” said the Queen of Stating.
Her curls dripped down her cheeks.
“Will it take long?” asked Asking.
“As long as it takes,” said Stating.
.
© Chrissie Gittins
If you would like to blog hop to the next AtoZ Challenge, follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
AtoZ Challenge; P is for Pie Corbett
Letter P in the Feast of Poems is fulfilled by Pie Corbett (link to Pie’s article on here about reading poetry in school). Pie is an inspirational English educational trainer, writer, author, anthologiser and poet who has written over two hundred books. He is now best known for creating Talk for Writing which is a teaching programme that supports children as storytellers and writers. He has supported children’s writing and children’s poets as well as the education of primary children for many years. Pie’s excellent and very popular main collection is called Evidence of Dragons, illustrated by Chris Riddell and Peter Bailey, published by Macmillan Children’s Books.
Here is his lovely poem:
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In the City
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In the city of snow,
The silence smothered the citadel.
In the city of suffering,
A poor man became the author of statistics.
In the city of saxophones,
A silhouette of sound insinuated itself.
In the city of scales,
A piano played for justice.
In the city of scholars,
They taught the science of beauty.
In the city of serendipity,
A startled key stumbled across a frozen lock.
In the city of sarcasm,
Stern words sliced chasms of pain.
In the city of silences,
The soft-hearted were squashed.
In the city of sunsets,
A song stood still.
.
© Pie Corbett
If you would like to blog hop to another AtoZ challenge, here is a link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
#AtoZ Challenge; O is for Eric Ode
Eric Ode (pronounced Oh-dee) is a national award-winning children’s singer/songwriter, an author and widely published poet, and a thoroughly engaging entertainer. His performances include interactive music, stories, skits, poetry, props and puppets. One of his latest books is Sea Star Wishes, Poems from the Coast, illustrated by Erik Brooks, available here in the UK and here in the US. Eric’s website is here.
This is the wonderful poem he has sent for the Poetry Feast, from Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails!
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Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
AtoZChallenge; N is for Now That I Really Think About It, by Shauna Darling-Robertson
Shauna Darling Robertson’s poems for adults and children have been set to music, performed by actors, displayed on buses, turned into short films, made into comic art, hung on a pub wall and published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. Shauna also makes artwork and loves working with other writers, artists, musicians and film-makers to explore and play with poetry in different ways. Her website is here.
This is the fabulous poem she has sent for the Poetry Feast:
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Now That I Really Think About It
My friends all say I think too much.
I think they could be right.
I think my way throughout the day
and think myself awake at night.
Outside, I think of ways back in.
Once in, I think things out again.
I chat with John and think of Jane.
In rain, I think about the sun.
When Jane comes round, I think of John.
At school I think of going home.
When home alone, I think of friends.
If blue, I think of red or pink – it never ends
and now I’m thinking hard about
how much I tend to think.
I tell all this to Jane, she says,
your brain must have a kink.
But John, he looks me in the eye,
asks why I think so much.
I think about it deep and long,
then round and square
and down and up,
then left and right
and like and such
I really make a meal of it
but think it’s best I don’t reveal
the reason that I think I think.
(I’m not sure how I feel.)
.
© Shauna Darling Robertson
If you would like to blog hop to the next AtoZ Challenge then please follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
AtoZ Challenge; M is for Michaela Morgan
And who else could it be, with such a perfect name other than award-winning poet Michaela Morgan? Michaela has had over 140 titles published including poetry, picture books, junior novels and non-fiction. She is a regular visitor to schools. Her 2016 poetry book Wonderland: Alice in Poetry, illustrations by Tenniel, was shortlisted for the prestigious CLiPPA Award for poetry and her 2017 collection Reaching the Stars: Poems About Extraordinary Women and Girls co-authored with Jan Dean and Liz Brownlee won the North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award 2017. Her book How To Teach Poetry: Writing Workshops, stresses the importance of poetry across the curriculum.
Here is the poem Michaela has chosen, from Reaching the Stars.
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Tinker… Tailor
I could be a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, a vet.
I could be a mother, an artist, or the pilot of a jet.
I could be the one who speaks up for a revolution
Or a steady force for status, calm, order, institution.
I could be a strutting model or a structural engineer
Or I could march in uniform to fight foe, or fire, or fear.
I could be a juggler… a jeweller…
What could be my scene?
Whatever it is, I choose to be
A fully fledged human being.
© Michaela Morgan
If you would like to blog hop to another AtoZ Challenge please follow this link.
Children’s Poets’ Climate Change blog: Be the Change
Liz’s Blog: Liz Brownlee Poet
Liz’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizpoet
KidsPoets4Climate Twitter: https://twitter.com/poets4climate
Children’s Poetry Summit Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidspoetsummit
