All The Year Round
Publisher: Andersen Press
With Quentin Blake's instantly recognisable illustrations, this picture book contains 12 funny poems by writer John Yeoman: one for each month of the year.
The poems are less about particular focus-points of the seasons and more about entertaining activities best suited to every month. Some of these are more easy to predict – spring cleaning in April, a picnic in July. Others are unexpected and inspired: pick up a musical instrument in March to chase the winter cobwebs away! Settle down with a good book in November, when the days start to get dark. By the time you get to December, the final suggestion will leave a smile (of agreement) on your face...
This is a really lovely book to dip into throughout the year, especially whenever you hear the desperate shrieks of 'I'm bored!'. Even more fun to return to the book every year and repeat those activites with the comforting sheen of routine. It's also a sweet way to get your child to think about the passage of time and how a year fills up.
Of course, All The Year Round is also very funny, with lots of gentle humour and earthy illustrations from Quentin Blake that really capture the fizz and farce of close family life.
