As I've been head
down in research reading or travelling for school visits, I haven’t any
children’s fiction or picture books to share.
So, happily, I
can mention one of my favourite poetry collections for schools: “I’ve Got A
Poem For You”.
John Foster, who chose these poems, has been writing and
performing poetry for both children and adults for ages. As the blurb says, he
is “the master of performance.”
I’d like every
child to hear and feel the power of words in real life, not the invisible words
from the screen. Hearing
stories and poems read aloud at school certainly influenced my love of reading
and fascination with writing, so I am always thinking How does this word, line,
paragraph or voice sound? Do the words do what I wanted them to do? John Foster’s book, used and shared, offers children that love of, and care about, words.
The anthology
has energy. The poems have life in them. Looking through the pages, I’m sure
that John loves, knows and shares the words of every poem selected.
Just as
satisfyingly, the poems vary in style, subject and mood. They range from Zephaniah’s “Talking
Turkeys” to Auden’s “Oh What is that Sound” and even Shelley’s “The Cloud”, as
well as one of my favourite poems by Michael Rosen: a poignant retelling of
“Icarus”.
There are quiet poems such as “I, said the Donkey” (Anon) as well as
Ousbey’s glorious “Gran, Can you Rap?”, one of John’s own much requested
performances.
The list of
names suggests the range and quality of the poems too. Foster includes Tony
Mitton, John Agard, Allan Ahlberg and Russell Hoban, as well as Kipling,
Tennyson and Farjeon and many more. Not many women, but then that’s not so
unusual in an anthology. The anthology uses poems over a time scale that might
even please a certain Mr Gove - and indeed was published long before he arose
to fame - but the poems still manage to shout enjoyment and “Speak me!”
The charm of
this collection is that I can imagine these being performed. I can imagine
teachers reading these poems aloud, children speaking these poems – with single or several voices - and sharing
the poem with others. These poems are enjoyable to recite, encouraging gesture.
Good poems to have in the mouth.
Mine is the
original edition, shown above, with Belle Mellor’s cover and wonderfully haunting illustrations inside.
I’m very pleased that the collection has now been
re-published, though I deplore the new and, to my mind, quite ugly cover. I so hope that Mellors illustrations are still there on the pages.
Please try to ignore that new cover and think of the words within.
For once I'm glad of the advice on the amazon image. Do look inside.
Ready? Altogether
now, along with Gareth Owen and John Foster:
Late
Again, Blenkinsop?
What’s
the excuse this time?
Not
my fault, sir.
Whose
fault is it then?
Grandma’s.
. . . .
Penny Dolan
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