POETRY

This is a comic collection of verse from the illustrious pairing of two former Children's Laureates. From the chaos of breakfast and to the calm of bedtime, this quirky collection of nonsense poetry written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Quentin Blake is full of delightful moments. Read of the pleasures of messing about and the pains of feeling ill, of animal antics down at the doctor's and strange goings-on on the beach...All this and a trip on a flying bed too.

"Lots of fun." (Tony Bradman, Parents)"

Cats! Some are sane, some are mad and some are good and some are bad. Meet magical Mr Mistoffelees, sleepy Old Deuteronomy and curious Rum Tum Tugger. But you'll be lucky to meet Macavity because Macavity's not there! In 1925, T.S. Eliot became co-director of Faber and Faber, who remain his publishers to this day. Throughout the 1930s he composed the now famous poems about Macavity, Old Deuteronomy, Mr Mistoffelees and many other cats, under the name of 'Old Possum'. In 1981, Eliot's poems were set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber a... read more

Whatever your choice of story, there's a poem for you, because Once Upon a Poem brings together some of the best stories ever told in verse! From the magnificent Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the magical Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll; to Roald Dahl's wicked retelling of Goldilocks and a rip-roaring rap version of Prince Theseus by Tony Mitton. And what's more, each poem has been stunningly illustrated in colour and championed by some of the very best of today's authors: David Almond, Philip Ardagh, Avi, Eoin C... read more

A collection of six poems, published as Baxter Basics in 1979 in separate booklets: Rain, I'm a Tree, The Tree House, The Seagull, The Ships and The Fireman. Here for the first time in one volume, and accompanied by their original illustrations, they remain some of the finest examples of children's poetry produced in this country.

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Winner, Montana New Zealand Book Awards, 2003 (Poetry Section & Reader's Choice). Glenn Colquhoun’s The Art of Walking Upright won the 2000 Montana NZ best first book award for poetry. He has also published a children’s book and An Explanation of Poetry to my Father, which sold over 1000 copies. This new collection of poems is based on GlennÃ... read more

Over 100 poems from 44 contributors make up this dynamic collection of poetry for Kiwi children. The initial premise was to give each poet a letter of the alphabet to work with but, as Jenny says in her introduction, poets can be 'notoriously difficult to control' and took liberal (and welcome) license on their directive. The result is a lively and diverse array of writing for children. from some of New Zealand's best and most interesting poets - including Cliff Fell, David Hill, Denis Welch, Jack Ross, James Brown, Kingi MacKinnon... read more

Denis Glover's iconic New Zealand poem 'The Magpies' is illustrated by Dick Frizzell to create a beautiful gift edition that every New Zealand family needs to own. The delightful refrain 'Quardle ardle oodle ardle wardle doodle' is well loved in New Zealand poetry, as are Dick Frizzell's illustrations for this book. It won the Russell Clark award for illustration in 1988. Originally published in 1987, this book remains as fresh and original today as it was then. This is the true mark of a New Zealand Classic - the third in Random... read more

This is a 2-CD set of 27 classic New Zealand poets, from Fairburn to Brian Turner, reading their own work. The CDs are accompanied by a book of the texts of the poems reproducing them exactly as read, as well as brief biographies and bibliographies of each poet. The poets are arranged chronologically by date of birth and each reads for approximately five minutes (2-5 poems) in recordings made in 1974 and/or 2004. They include the leading voices of NZ poetry, Mason, Curnow, Glover, Baxter, Edmond, Tuwhare, Frame, Campbell, and were ... read more

A Golem...a Prince who thinks he's a Rooster? Find them all in this collection of traditional Jewish stories - lovingly treasured, retold and carried through countries as far apart as Poland, Afghanistan, Czechoslovakia, Morocco, Russia and Germany. The tales feature a cast of eccentric princes, sharp-witted scholars, flustered tailors and brave soldiers. Seasoned with wit, humour and magic, Ann Jungman's retellings of stories familiar to Jewish readers are sure to delight a new, wider readership.

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n the fifth book in the Visions in Poetry series, award-winning illustrator Stephane Jorisch explores the nonsense world created by Edward Lear.

"The definitive anthology of children's poetry, collected by a beloved author" Years in the making, this full-color treasury contains nearly two hundred poems, all of them handpicked by Bill Martin Jr. Traditional children's poems are presented alongside contemporary pieces, and the collection is capped off with tributes by Eric Carle and Steven Kellogg, two of Bill Martin Jr's best-known collaborators. This essential compilation also features original illustrations by award-winning artists, including Ashley Bryan, Lois Ehlert, Ste... read more

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"Always thoughtful, often funny, Ahlberg's poems are a celebration of being young and eager." (Guardian)"

Just how do poets come up with their ideas? Do their ideas come to them in a flash of inspiration or do they slave away for months or years? Edited by Canadian poet Jonarno Lawson, this is an illustrated poetry book with a difference. A selection of verse from top contemporary poets - including Children's Laureate Michael Rosen, John Agard, Grace Nichols, Roger McGough and many more, including writers from the USA, India, South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand - are then annotated by the poets themselves, who explain how t... read more

As the author confides, Winnie-the-Pooh has "sat down on some of the pages" of this treasure trove of nursery favourites. Several of the poems feature the beloved teddy bear, helping Christopher Robin with his schoolwork (if helping is the word) or simply philosophising about a bear's world. Many of the other verses are famous as nursery classics in their own right. "Now We are Six" is an unforgettable evocation of childhood, through the eyes of the six-year-old Christopher Robin.

Written in free verse with examples of several poetic forms slipped into the mix, this funny, poignant story by a master of dialogue tells of a straight-talking 14-year-old first baseman, benched by mono, who takes a swing at writing poetry.

Children now encounter many different types of family: there are stepfamilies, single-parent families and children who live apart from their mothers or fathers or siblings. This anthology weaves together the everyday comedy, catastrophes and cuddles that make up modern family life.

This wonderful story of Jack, Miss Stretchberry and a poetry class is impossible to pigeonhole. It’s a novel, it’s poetry, it’s a diary and an anthology — it’s for children, adults, dog-owners, poetry-lovers, teachers, students or just about anybody. Publishers’ Weekly in the US called it “an ingenious homage to the power of poetry and those who write it”. NZ’s National Radio reviewer said: “Love that book!”

'A beautiful wonderful lovely little book.' Geraldine McCaughrean 'I really loved this one - so original and funny and touching. It's completely captivating ...' The Independent 'A touching account of a boy's new-found love of poetry. Readers can't fail to be affected by this lovely tale.' The Guardian ' life-enhancing.' Financial Times

Publishers’ Weekly in the US called it “an ingenious homage to the power of poetry and those who write it”. NZ’s National Radio reviewer said: “Love that book!”