A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young

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In I AM HUNGRY you can have fun together talking about all the things you’d eat if you were really hungry, or what makes you really angry in I AM ANGRY. Can children make a really angry face? The poem is positioned in quite an unusual way, starting in the top left-hand corner and progressing diagonally downwards to the bottom right-hand corner. The way that each verse is positioned encourages the reader to speed up when reading bringing purposeful tension to the poem. There is also an effect of each verse and accompanying illustration getting closer as the poem progresses, which gives the same effect. Where does the inspiration for this poem come from? Is it based on a real tiger as it finds its roar or is it based on a toy or even a child?

A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young - Goodreads

Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017 | Joint Winner of the CLiPPA 2016 (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award). From re-invented fairy tales to classics from Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, here are some poetry books your child is sure to love and want to read out loud. We took this book away with us over the summer and it was lovely to see older children getting enjoyment out of it too. They love to read aloud, and this was perfect, the younger children didn’t need to sit and listen for long, they could join in and the older children loved performing the poems as well.' The BBC Radio 2 Book Club announced on 24 January that its new home is on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives.

Here are some videos of me performing poems from my book, A Great Big Cuddle, with pictures by Chris Riddell, published by Walker Books. Michael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London. If you have a small child, you grow accustomed to the classic nursery rhymes. They have, after all, withstood the test of time. Still, roundabout the one hundred and fortieth time you’ve read “Bye, Baby Bunting” you long for something a little different. Imagine then the palpable sense of relief such a parent might feel when reading jaunty little poems like “What a Fandango!” starring (what else?) a mango. The thing about Rosen is that so many of his poems feel as if they’ve been in the canon of nursery rhymery for centuries. “Oh Dear” is very much in the same vein as “Hush, Little Baby” all thanks to its regular rhythm and repetition. “Party Time” counts down and brings to mind “This Old Man” in reverse. And should you be under the misbegotten understanding that writing poems of this sort is easy, go on. Write one yourself. Now fill a book with them. I’ll just wait right here and finish my sandwich.

A Great Big Cuddle | Michael Rosen

A collection of beautifully illustrated new poems for toddlers, preschoolers, and anyone who loves having fun with words, A Great Big Cuddle documents the problems and pleasures of being very young. Michael Rosen isn’t a household name in United States, but I’d say at least one of his books is. Anyone who has ever sought out or read We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury has read his words. We’re just nuts about that book, and we have him to thank for it. Despite that, he’s not an author to relegate himself to just one kind of story. Indeed, I haven’t seen him produce much of anything quite as young as “Bear Hunt” in years (or, at the very least, I haven’t seen works of his brought to U.S. shores this “young” in content). That’s why this book is such a surprise and a delight. I have loved exploring these poems with George who was 2 in May. He loves stories and that special time you get together when we read. He has been exploring sounds and words a lot lately and loves to watch your mouth when you make noises or sounds and any increased expression or intonation so these are perfect for him to join in with. His favourites are 'Boing! Boing!' where he bounces with me pounces and then does an impressive roar. He loves the finger play in 'Finger story' as well as the brilliant accompanying image which he notices every time. The poem has lots of actions and it finishes with bed so George can pretend to fall asleep which he loves doing with accompanying snores.'When I read this poem, to me, the phrases have very positive connotations. This is because of the words used such as ‘boing’ and ‘bounce’, making the poem seem happy and therefore enjoyable for both the reader and the audience. The phrases also made me think of words children may use when they are playing such as ‘jump’ and ‘ball’, this will therefore not only be more relatable for the children, but will also help to reinforce this vocabulary.