Hope is the Thing with Feathers by Emily Dickinson and illustrated by the award-winning Tim Hopgood. Thos is the first in a new series from Magic Cat Publishing called Picture a Poem, introducing little ones to the world's best loved poems, brought to life in pictures to inspire conversation, curiosity and a love of language. I absolutely love this - Tim Hopgood is one of my favourite picture book illustrators and expanding the reach of poetry is one of my goals for 2024.
Emily Dickinson was an American poet known for writing about love, death and nature. She wrote over 1000 poems, mostly recorded in small handmade books, writing Hope is the thing with feathers in 1861. She compares hope with a bird that never stops singing, even in dark times, never asking us for anything in return. It's a beautiful, lyrical poem, perfect for reading aloud and little ones can spot the singing bird on all the pages. The illustrations are both simple and detailed, with gorgeous musical notes following the bird across the pages.
I'm so looking forward to the next installment in this series of picture books. Let's inspire children and families to share some poetry together. Published by Magic Cat Publishing on 29th February 2024. Find out more here - https://www.magiccatpublishing.co.uk/products/pre-order-hope-is-the-thing-with-feathers
The Boy who loves to Lick the Wind by Fiona Carswell and illustrated by You Rong. The boy next door loves to lick the wind. His next door neighbour wonders why, so asks the boy's mum. She takes them both to the beach, and what follows is a touching and inclusive tale of neurodivergence, understanding and friendship. The boy next door doesn't always communicate with words, but loves to throw stones into the sea, and jump and spin and yell, dance and kick and splash. The author ends with a note about neurodivergence, the two boys not only look different and enjoy different things, but their brains are different too, you just can't see it. Highly recommended at a time when empathy and understanding are very much needed. Published by Otter-barry Books on 7th March 2024. Find out more here - https://www.otterbarrybooks.com/books/the-boy-who-loves-to-lick-the-wind
Reading round the world challenge ~ Venezuela | The Caiman by María Eugenia Manrique, illustrated by Ramón París and translated by Amy Brill. The story of a man, a jeweller, who takes in a tiny baby caiman (like an alligator), nurtures it, and lets the children visit to watch it grow. The story actually happened many years ago in San Fernando de Apure, a small city on the banks of a river in Venezuela. Here, the story is retold by the author who visited the city, and the caiman, on family visits during her childhood. The caiman, who Faoro the jeweller called Night, even took part in his wedding. This beautifully illustrated retelling of the true story is a heart-warming tale of love and friendship standing the test of time.
Published by Amazon Crossing Kids Find out more here - https://www.bestbooksforschools.com/products/the-caiman and here for a read aloud on YouTube Kids - https://youtu.be/es1g5A2rsQA?feature=shared
In a Time of Distance & other poems by Alexander McCall Smith. Famed for the No1 Ladies Detective Agency and the Scotland Street stories, the author also writes poetry, connecting the two with his usual themes of friendship and love. He takes us on a journey round the world from Africa to Greece, London to Mumbai and back to Edinburgh. Looking at the world through his eyes and his poetry, makes us stop and think about the world differently, while having a giggle at some of his descriptions and anecdotes.
I'd never really thought of reading poetry like I read a novel or a nonfiction book, until recently. And I'm glad I discovered it.
Published by Polygon Books an imprint of Birlinn Ltd, an independent Scottish publisher. Find out more here - https://www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/book/time-of-distance-poetry/?series=poetry
An ABC of Equality by Chana Ginelle Swing and illustrated by Paulina Morgan. This gorgeous board book introduces and explains complicated concepts like beliefs, differences, gender, multicultural and race, for a very young audience. Each letter of the alphabet has a beautifully illustrated concept, with a simple explanation of its meaning.
"All people have the right to be treated fairly, no matter who they are, what they look like or where they come from"
Let's foster these kind and compassionate ways in our youngest children to make a better future.
Published by Frances Lincoln Find out more here - https://www.quarto.com/books/9781786037411/an-abc-of-equality
Reading round the world challenge ~ Chile | Space Invaders by Noña Fernandez. Chile in the 1970s and 1980s, under the military control of Pinochet, where being leftist or socialist meant death or disappearance. This is the setting for this short story from the perspective of a group of school friends, who recall events through dreams and letters, all connected to their friend Estrella who suddenly has to leave the country with her family. Brilliant story-telling, which keeps you gripped with every short chapter. Published by Daunt Books. Find out more here - https://dauntbookspublishing.co.uk/book/space-invaders/
Ten poems about Cities selected and introduced by Jessica Mookherjee. A mini-anthology taking us on a city break, to discover hustle and bustle, light and dark, dreams and awakenings, noise and peace.
These little books come with a matching bookmark, and an envelope so they can be given instead of a card. A perfect way to celebrate any occasion, whole giving the gift of poetry.
Part of my year of promoting the power, positivity and possibilities of poetry.
Published by Candlestick Press. Find out more here - https://www.candlestickpress.co.uk/pamphlet/ten-poems-about-cities/
Reading round the world challenge ~
Venezuela | Octavio's Journey by Miguel Bonnefoy. A modern fable from Venezuela translated from French by Emily Boyce. The story of Don Octavio who finds love and literacy in the pharmacy before embarking on an epic journey into the Venezuelan rainforest, where his destiny lies, and then back to his village for a magical ending. A short, sweet and perfect tale that reminds me of fairy tale storytelling.
Published by Gallic Books Find out more here - https://gallicbooks.com/product/octavios-journey
Hugg 'n' Bugg, The Surprise by Ian Brown and Eoin Clarke. Another installment in the adventures of Hugg the messy yeti and his Himalayan flea friend. Hugg keeps his friend warm and Bugg keeps Hugg nice and clean, in these rhyming tales of friendship and fun. In this story, Hugg is jealous of the other animals' fancy hair styles, especially as it's his birthday. Published by Graffeg. Find out more here - https://graffeg.com/collections/childrens-books/products/hugg-n-bugg-the-surprise
I've been reading | The Bat Book by Charlotte Milner. Beautifully illustrated face book all about bats. I thought I knew a bit about bats, but alas I did not. Did you know that some bats have a 150cm wingspan, and others are as small.as a bumblebee? And did you know that bats are extremely important pollinators? In fact, they pollinate plants, disperse seeds, and eat insects that could damage crops. So they are really really important creatures, even if we don't see them that often. Let's all use our voice and vote to save bat habitats like ancient woodlands.
Other books in this brilliant series include The Bee Book, The Sea Book and The Rainforest Book.
Published by Dorling Kindersley Find out more here - https://www.dk.com/uk/book/9780241410691-the-bat-book/. And @norfolknorwichbatgroup and
@stopthewensumlink on Facebook.
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. A dystopian tale of loss and control that is reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984. The Memory Police on the island control everything, even people's memories. Things disappear, and to the residents of the island no longer have meaning, the memory of the disappeared things is gone. But a few people do remember, and they are in great danger. Reading the Diary of Anne Frank was the reason Yoko Ogawa became an author. And there are little hints to this hidden in the story. It's a brilliant read and was shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize. It kept me guessing, and wondering...what happens when everything is disappeared? Published by Vintage Books. Find out more here - https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/reading-guide-the-memory-police-by-yoko-ogawa-translated-by-stephen-snyder
Makeover, poems by Laurie Bolger. Hollie McNish called this book "stunning", which is great because she is the reason I'm reading it. We saw Hollie live this week, and Laurie was the warm-up poet (I'm not sure if this is getting right way to describe the poet before a poet...). Anyway we came home with Laurie's book Makeover. Her poems are full of charm and wit, reminiscences of the past, stories about her mum and her sister and her nan. The poems fill the pages in different ways, sometimes you have to turn the book sideways. But it is a little book that is full to the brim with love and hope. Will definitely read some more of her work. Published by The Emma Press. Find out more here - https://theemmapress.com/shop/poetry/pamphlets/makeover/
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