Poetry

Runny Babbit lent to wunch And heard the saitress way, 'We have some lovely stabbit rew - Our Special for today.' Welcome to the world of Runny Babbit and his friends Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others who speak a topsy-turvy language all their own. It's filled with the most amazing adventures and tongue-twisting rhymes imaginable. And, what's more, Shel Silverstein wrote this yook especially for bou.

Turn up the sound! An award-winning duo return with a playfully enticing ode to the pleasures of reading poetry aloud.One voice, two voice, three voice, free voice! Whether rhyming, tongue tying, or defying structure, here are more than three dozen poems that simply beg to be read aloud. The creators of "A Poke in the I" and "A Kick in the Head" complete a triplet with this collection of lively rhymes and tricky tongue-twisters, poems for more than one voice, bilingual poems - and poems that may just inspire kids to memorize them (... read more

There's a light on in the attic. I can see it from outside, And I know you're on the inside ...lookin' out. Step inside the mind of Shel Silverstein and you'll discover a magic homework machine, a Polar Bear in the fridge and a Meehoo With an Exactlywatt. But beware stolen knees, the babysitter who likes to squash children - and the nighttime peril of the Whatifs! This is the second book of beloved poems and pictures from the marvellous master of nonsense, Shel Silverstein.

If you are a dreamer, come in, If you are a dreamer, A wisher, a liar, A hope-er, a pray-er, A magic bean buyer ...Come in ...for where the sidewalk ends, Shel Silverstein's world begins. You'll meet a boy who turns into a TV set, and a girl who eats a whale. The Unicorn and the Bloath live there, and so does Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout who will not take the garbage out. It is a place where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens, a place where shoes fly, sisters are auctioned off, and crocodiles go to the dentist. Shel Silve... read more

A spider lives inside my head Who weaves a strange and wondrous web Of silken threads and silver strings To catch all sorts of flying things, Like crumbs of thought and bits of smiles And specks of dried-up tears, And dust of dreams that catch and cling For years and years and years . . . Have you ever read a book with everything on it? Well, here it is, an amazing collection of never-before-published poems and drawings from the creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up. You will say Hi-ho for the... read more

Millie McDeevit screamed a scream So loud it made her eyebrows steam. She screamed so loud Her jawbone broke, Her tongue caught fire, Her nostrils smoked... Poor Screamin' Millie is just one of the unforgettable characters in this wonderous book of poems and drawings by the creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends and a Light in the Attic. Here you will also meet Allison Beals and her twenty-five eels; Danny O'Dare, the dancin' bear; the Human Balloon; and Headphone Harold. So come wander through the Nose Garden, ride the Little Ho... read more

A day at school is: a. marvelous b. dreadful c. silly d. all of the above - and much, much more! From suspicious hot lunches (yuck!), to pop quizzes (oh, no!), to recess and best friends (hooray!), everything you love - and love to hate - about school is front and center in this collection of eighteen poems by thirteen celebrated poets. One thing's for certain: there's no place like school!

A collection of ribald rhymes featuring characters from fairy tales, fables and nursery rhymes - as you've never seen them before! From "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "Hansel and Gretel" to "Ali Baba" and "Aladdin", these traditional stories will never seem the same again once you have had a taste of Roald Dahl's hilarious verse and Quentin Blake's suitably lively illustrations.

This collection of poems introduces a menagerie of comic animals. Meet the poor toad that jumps to France - at his own peril; the pig who ponders on the meaning of life; the anteater who gets the wrong end of the stick; and the porcupine with it's painful prickles.

Think again if you thought you knew the stories of some of the most popular fairy tales. Here are six of the best known retold, with more than a twist or two, by the master of the comic and the blood-curdling.

Lear's nonsense classic about the unlikely romance between a pussycat and an owl. "Galdone uses his imagination to extend Lear's ideas, creating a memorable version suitable for the youngest." -- Kirkus Reviews

The words in a concrete poem form a shape that complements the meaning of the poem. They may wiggle about, curve around or hurtle down the page, but they will always startle and delight the eye. John Agard, Sylvia Cassedy, John Hegley, Roger McGough, Edwin Morgan... These are just a few of the celebrated poets included in Paul B. Janeczko's intriguing selection of concrete poems, illustrated with pizzazz by Chris Raschka.

Two vibrant collections of poetry published in one volume for the first time. Valerie Bloom's poetry is beautifully crafted yet full of energy and fun. Her mixed use of standard English and dialect is a delight to read and hear. Children love reading and listening to her work! Valerie's subjects range from global pollution, problems with maths homework and the sad demise of pet frogs (he croaked of course) to taking sandwiches to school and being afraid of ghosts.

Lois Ehlert is at her Ogden-Nashian best in this lively collection of poems about animal camouflage and adornment. Birds and beasts from all walks of the animal kingdom are gathered here, beautifully illustrated in Lois's signature bold and bright collage style. Complete with an Author's Note about the how-and-why of animal spots-and-stripes.

'A poem is a ripple of words on water wind-huffed'. Hone Tuwhare, one of this country's best-loved poets, died in 2008. He was New Zealand's second Te Mata Poet Laureate and in 2003 was among ten of New Zealand's greatest living artists named as Arts Foundation of NZ Icon Artists. His rhythmic voice ranged from playful, earthy, wry and cheeky to protesting and angry, to loving and elegiac. Delighting in the everyday, he had an acute eye for detail and a deep love of the land. He evoked Maori myth and waiata, but also embraced the ... read more

An extraordinary collaboration between two of New Zealand's most stirring and popular artists - poet Glenn Colquhoun & painter Nigel Brown. Nigel Brown creates a unique vision of Aotearoa New Zealand while revisiting and reinterpreting our past. In North South he goes deep into the tribal roots of our country's imagination. Glenn Colquhoun imagines the northern gods of his Celtic heritage engaging with the atua Maori of the south, and creates a new mythology for this country. Nigel Brown has handwritten and illustrated Glenn's word... read more

Acclaimed artist Alan Aldridge was responsible for a great many album covers during the 1960s and 1970s, and helped create the graphic style of that era. In 1973, he created a picture book, The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast. The book was loosely based on the poem telling the story of a party for insects and small animals written in 1802 by William Roscoe. Aldridge's stunning illustrations of brightly coloured creatures were accompanied by verses written by William Plomer. Much to Aldridge's surprise, the book sold 50,0... read more

This collection of poetry by Lorraine Marwood focuses on family: holidays, siblings, school life, relatives and play. Whether she is describing the joys of a holiday at the beach, or the frustration of a day spent sick in bed, Lorraine's poems capture the innocence, wonder and difficulties of growing up. Ages 8+.

Rudyard Kipling's 'If ' is one of the most popular poems ever written in the English language. Written as a guide to life from a father to his son, it was published in 1910 and immediately struck a chord with the public. Inspiring and thought-provoking, the poem acts as a beacon of hope on a dark night, and is as relevant one hundred years on as the day it was written.

A celebration of our Earth in poems that make us all think hard about protecting it for the future.