Daydreams and Jellybeans
by Alex Wharton, illustrated by Katy Riddell
Interest age: 6 to 8
Reading age: 6+
Published by Firefly Press, 2022
About this book
In Daydreams and Jellybeans, Alex Wharton has created a lovely variety of poems from the dreamy to the hilarious. There’s Dear Brother, in which Wharton describes a brother who snores so loud that it sounds like a crisp packet stuck in a hoover nozzle, and in Letter From a Football, he tells the story of a football that’s just very tired of being kicked. In Maths Test, the poem is in the guise of a recognisable maths riddle, with a more sensible answer than might usually be encouraged…
In Weeping Willow, Wharton observes the sadness and beauty of the tree in the title, and there are many more thoughtful poems inspired by nature in the book, exploring waterfalls, stars, the sea, butterflies and clouds – all of which will be great inspiration to children reading this book with a view to creating their own poetry.
Illustrated by Katy Riddell, this accessible collection of poems is fun and thoughtful and an ideal resource for teachers. The focus here is on poems that sound great read aloud, so be sure to sing them, chant them and enjoy the way they sound.
More books like this
-
Red Sky in the Morning, Poet's Warning
by Alex Wharton, illustrated by Ian Morris
9 to 14 years
-
Red Sky at Night, Poet’s Delight
by Alex Wharton, illustrated by Ian Morris
9 to 14 years
-
Doughnuts, Thieves and Chimpanzees
by Alex Wharton, illustrated by Rhi Smith
5 to 9 years
-
A First Book of Bugs
by Simon Mole, illustrated by Adam Ming
4 to 9 years
Lists of recommended reads
-
Poetry books for the Poetry Friendly Classroom
Take a look at some of our favourite children's poetry books - perfect for use in the poetry-friendly classroom. From Roald Dahl's classic Revolting Rhymes to fantastic novels in verse, these books are guaranteed to promote a love of poetry.
-
Books about Black joy for 5-8s
Enjoy this selection of joyous young fiction and poetry books by Black authors, all starring Black characters having adventures.
-
Our favourite poetry books (younger children)
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.
-
Our favourite poetry books (older children)
Poetry can be great to broaden reading horizons, as well as truly engaging for reluctant readers. Here are some poetry books your child is sure to love and want to read out loud.