book cover

Michael Rosen’s Book of Very Silly Poems

by Michael Rosen

Interest age: 5 to 9
Reading age: 8+

Published by Puffin, 2018

  • Funny
  • Poetry and rhyme

About this book

In this collection of traditional rhymes from across the world, Michael Rosen reminds us of the rather silly things that we might learn in the playground or from our parents, as well as including some of his own poems and that of other authors, including poems from primary school children themselves.

Some rhymes might be familiar, such as: "We three kings of Orient are/One in a taxi, one in a car/One on a scooter, blowing his hooter/Smoking a big cigar". Some, like the traditional North American poem In Frisco Bay There Lives a Whale, may be less so, but that’s all the more reason for readers to browse this lovely collection of Very Silly Poems and find a new favourite.

Separated into themes sections such as Festering Food, Amazing Animals, BIG Boasts and many more, this is a delightful volume of poetry that reminds children and adults that poetry doesn’t have to be heavy and serious – and it’s likely that you already know more poems than you think you do.

About the author

Michael Rosen is one of Britain’s best loved writers and performance poets for children and adults. His first degree in English Literature and Language was from Wadham College, Oxford and he went on to study for an MA at the University of Reading and a PhD at the former University of North London, now London Metropolitan.

He is currently Professor of Children’s Literature at Goldsmiths, University of London where he co-devised and teaches critical approaches to reading on an MA in Children’s Literature, having done the same at Birkbeck, University of London. He has taught on MA courses in universities since 1994.

He was the Children’s Laureate from 2007 to 2009 and has published over 200 books for children and adults, including the recent bestseller Many Different Kinds of Love and On The Move.

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