Reviews
There are so many incredible books available at the moment that it is impossible to read them all, no matter how hard I try! Here are my thoughts about some of the books I have read and how I think they could be used in school as well as Q and A sessions with authors and illustrators.
Shakespeare’s First Folio
Created in partnership with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, ‘Shakespeare’s First Folio: All the Plays: A Children’s Edition’ is absolutely gorgeous. As in the original First Folio, it includes 36 plays in the same order, but in versions which have been abridged to make them accessible for children. The introduction states that they can ‘be performed by small groups in a small amount of time, using almost entirely Shakespeare’s original language.’ and a page entitled ‘Notes on the Text’ carefully explains certain decisions which have been made, including those which alter or remove certain references or topics.
The book opens with a sonnet written by Michael Rosen to tempt the reader into acting out the plays contained inside. With Emily Sutton’s wonderful interpretation of Shakespeare’s picture on the facing page, it reflects the start of the original First Folio with Ben Johnson’s sonnet and the Droeshout engraving. The contents then groups the plays into Comedies, Histories and Tragedies, making it easy for reader to locate the play they are looking for or to browse Shakespeare’s works. Each play is presented with a clear cast list, beautifully illustrated by Emily Sutton.
Meticulous and skilful as Anjna Chouhan has been in the abridging of the text, full credit has to be given to the phenomenal work of Emily Sutton in breathing life and joy into the whole work through her incredible illustrations which are rich in detail and full of delight.
This is a real treasure of a book, presenting Shakespeare to children in an accessible and welcoming manner whilst preserving his voice. Although I would not touch certain of his plays with children (Titus Andronicus springs instantly to mind!), their inclusion is necessary to reflect the First Folio and has been managed as sensitively and thoughtfully as possible.
I hate the term ‘gift book’ as every book is a gift; however, in this instance, I will say that this book would make a wonderful gift for any child- or adult- and would also make an excellent addition to any school library!
Shakespeare’s First Folio: All the Plays: A Children’s Edition
Abridged by Dr Anjna Chouhan, illustrated by Emily Sutton
Walker Books in partnership with The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
ISBN: 978-1529514421
Pause for Poetry: Monday
This week, I will be pausing for poetry every day in celebration of National Poetry Day on Thursday 6th October. The theme this year is the Environment, offering plenty of poems to choose from and plenty of inspiration for writing.
However, because poetry is not just for National Poetry Day, I will be sharing a couple of favourite poetry books each day this week. It has been very hard to choose…
Poetry can be an incredibly powerful, personal form of expression which allows the exploration of thoughts and feelings or simply their release. Sometimes, we lack the words to encapsulate our emotions or the courage to commit them to paper. Finding that others have also experienced similar feelings can offer great comfort which is why poems like those in ‘Being Me’ are invaluable. Sharing and discussing emotions through the words of others helps us to make sense of our feelings, feel supported and encourage empathy for others.
This is a truly stunning collection of poignant, powerful poems by three outstanding poets, illustrated by Victoria Jane Wheeler. The anthology contains 45 poems exploring a wide range of emotions, worries and ideas. Invaluable for both home and school, this is a collection which should be on every shelf.
Each poem deserves to be savoured and could be discussed in detail, easily being used as the core of a session, for a discussion or read for pleasure, but I have selected just a few to look at here. There are notes at the end of the book written by Dr Karen Goodall, a developmental psychologist, which offer advice for discussions and links for support organisations.
Reading ‘My Head is Full of Hurry’ by Laura eases all the tension in your body as your mind slows with the calming images she creates. The use of alliteration and onomatopoeia help echo the sounds of nature and its healing beauty. Children could easily create their own poems using this as a model, drawing on images, sounds and experiences which help them to regain some peace and feel calm. My head is mostly ‘full of hurry’ - a wonderful description- and this poem is one which I will now mutter to myself at moments of need.
‘A Thought’ by Matt explores a mother’s depression from a child’s point of view. The imagery used is so poignant, yet easy to relate to and perfect for discussing the feelings of both adult and child.
Liz’s poem, ‘What to do with worries’ suggests many ways of sharing the things that are bothering you instead of bottling them up. This is another poem which children could use as a model for their own ideas as well as a starting point for discussing ways to tackle worries.
Other favourites include ‘The Land of Blue’, ‘Being Heard’, ‘In the Heart of a Book’ and ‘First Day’, but each and every poem is a real gem. Highly recommended.
Being Me: Poems about Thoughts, Worries and Feelings
Liz Brownlee, Matt Goodfellow and Laura Mucha
illustrated by Victoria Jane Wheeler
Otter Barry ISBN: 978-1913074654
Whatever your feelings, there is a poem which can help! There are poems which can lighten your mood, poems to calm you down, those which entertain and those which inspire. ‘Everyone Sang’ is a fabulous collection which really has something for everyone and every emotion.
Gathered into four sections, the poems have been selected to help support different moods and capture how the reader is feeling. In his introduction, William Sieghart says, ‘There is a special magic in the perfect poem…’ and there is plenty of magic in these pages. There are plenty of classics- Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils’, John Masefield’s ‘Sea Fever’ and ‘Silver’ by Walter de la Mare to name a few- alongside more recent treasures like ‘Granny Is…’ by Valerie Bloom
Each section has been carefully considered, offering a balance of older and more modern as well as from a wonderful range of poets from different countries and cultures. There are so many poems in this joyful collection which are perfect for sharing with a class or using for assemblies, encouraging children to reflect on their feelings and showing how poetry can help them to express themselves and understand others.
The illustrations are simply delightful, immersing the reader in the poems. They are full of colour, life and imagination. Each spread could be framed and displayed, but I particularly love the illustration for ‘The Sound Collector’ by Roger McGough and the one for ‘Don’t Go Into the Library’ by Alberto Rios.
A fabulous collection of poems for everyone to enjoy, ‘Everyone Sang’ would make a perfect gift.
Everyone Sang: A Poem for Every Feeling
William Sieghart, illustrated by Emily Sutton
Walker Books ISBN: 978-1406393613
'The Same Inside' is an amazing collection of poems by three very special poets. It is a collection to be shared, discussed and enjoyed again and again.
The opening poem entitled 'The Same Inside' by Liz Brownlee sets the tone of the book perfectly. Look inside any apple and what do you find- a star, and yet they all have different appearances. Cutting the apples, sharing the fruit and planting the seed of the idea could be used as the basis of an assembly or lesson to develop empathy and encourage thought and discussion. Having done this, it is amazing where it led!
There are poems here to help with many situations and each could be used as the basis for work in the classroom so I have selected a few of my favourites to discuss here- but it was very hard to choose!
'Each and Every One' is a poem by Matt Goodfellow which states 'I am human' in a range of languages, starting with Welsh and ending with English. Imagine the fun to be had discovering which language each sentence is written in, the joy of children identifying a language which they can speak. Families could add the same sentence in other languages they speak or are interested in and the poem extended, celebrated and displayed. Children could think of other sentences or phrases which they would like to translate and create a poem of their own along the same lines. This could lead to discussions about how the sentiment behind the phrase is the same, no matter what the language.
Roger Stevens' poem, 'Boy or Girl?', offers a brilliant starting point for challenging ideas about gender stereotyping. Having listened to each 'riddle', they could be asked whether they think the subject is a boy or a girl and then discuss why. They could then gather ideas about themselves or their friends and write poems exploring the things they love to do, encouraging empathy and understanding and perhaps allowing children to share hobbies and talents that they have 'outside' school that others might know nothing about.
'Differences of Opinion' by Liz Brownlee would make a great performance poem. Easy to learn, with plenty of humour, it also carries a poignant message about the beauty of friendship and celebrating difference. Children could create their own poems about the differences between themselves and others- but focus on how little this matters. Differences are to be respected and acknowledged, not ridiculed or loathed.
Each and every poem in this collection is poignant and special- words to carry in your heart and remind us that we are all 'The Same Inside.'
The Same Inside: Poems about Empathy and Friendship
Liz Brownlee, Matt Goodfellow and Roger Stevens
Macmillan ISBN: 978-1509854509
Enjoy these- more tomorrow!