This brilliant new collection of poetry by Valerie Bloom is newly published in January 2021. What a great year for delving into poetry, lots of time at home and lots of time for books! There is a huge variety of poems in all shapes and sizes, from a small cinquain to a four verse poems. One of my favourites describes different forms of poems;
TERMS which starts..
The SLAM of the Door,
the STAMP on the floor,
is onomatopoeia.
When school bells CHIME,
right on TIME,
that's rhyme.
If the boy IS AS FREE
AS a bird in a tree.
that's a simile.
There are many more great poems and this is definitely a book to buy right now, whether you are home schooling or online teaching. This one is just the thing.
'Valerie Bloom is a performance poet, originally from Jamaica, and many of her poems are in Jamaican Patois. Her published work includes Hot Like Fire which is a Power of Reading recommended text and the award winning picture book Fruits – a Caribbean Counting Poem. She has considerable experience running writing workshops in schools. Valerie was awarded an MBE for her services to poetry in 2008. Several of her poems feature in the CLiPPA 2015 shortlisted book Give the Ball to the Poet: A New Anthology of Caribbean Poetry. Among her most recent work is Jaws and Claws and Things with Wings ( Harper Collins, 2013).' from Poetry Line on CLPE
Ken Wilson-Max was born in Zimambwe and living in London. He is an internationally renowned children's book illustrator, author and designer, plus co director of publishing house, Alanna Max. He wrote and illustrated Astro Girl, winner of the 2020 STEAM award
Otter Barry Books are the publishers, with poetry at their heart and have out together this delightful book with two amazing people. It shows how they live up to their aims of pushing boundaries and publishing books that children will love. 
This is on my list to buy for those home schooling sessions, or just to sit and read and dream!
Sue Martin
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