A Whale of a Time: A Funny Poem for Every Day of the Year (Poetry Collections)
£15.30£23.80 (-36%)
A brilliantly illustrated collection of 366 hilarious poems to keep you laughing all year round!
The Times Children’s Book of the Week
Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year 2023
A wonderful gift for all ages, this beautifully produced anthology is rib-ticklingly funny to wryly witty, each poem in this uplifting collection is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! Whether it’s a poem about socks or spaniels, eggs or elephants, this bright and brilliant collection will bring you cheer and laughter every day. Perfect for reading aloud, sharing even more side-splitting hilarity with family and friends.
The spectacular range of poems for children includes work by John Agard, Maya Angelou, Hilaire Belloc, Brian Bilston, Lucille Clifton, Wendy Cope, Roald Dahl, Edward Lear, Spike Milligan, Ogden Nash, Grace Nichols, Jack Prelutsky, Michael Rosen, Christina Rossetti, Benjamin Zephaniah and many more.
“Laughter is definitely the top priority here in this bright, lively and uplifting poetry anthology for children” – Lucy Bannerman, The Times
“There are a myriad of ways to enjoy this collection… This makes the perfect gift… a whale of a time is guaranteed”- Gemma McLaughlin, The National
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Additional information
| Publisher | Nosy Crow (14 Sept. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 352 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1839942010 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1839942013 |
| Reading age | 6 – 9 years |
| Dimensions | 25 x 3.5 x 28 cm |
by Karla_bookishlife
A poem a day for a year? What a great idea! Children are naturally drawn to rhythm, repetition and rhyme, especially when it’s humorous. Although the select sample of poems I was sent to review was relatively small, it revealed a wide variety of amusing poetry from an eclectic group of gifted poets and authors.
The poems range from the gently humorous, lighthearted, frivolous and laugh-out-loud, to those where a groan is elicited or a wry smile evoked. Others give you pause to ponder a while. There’s plenty to stretch the mind and tongue here.
I was particularly impressed by ‘I Don’t Love Poetry’ by Joshua Seigal. It’s perfect for children who think they might share the title’s sentiment but find themselves won over by the artful poetry itself.
And my inner child could strongly identify with ‘Choosing Shoes’ by Ffrida Wolfe. It brought back memories of longing for the type of shoes my mother wouldn’t buy for me, the colours and styles I loved but she deemed unsuitable.
As a poet myself, I’m delighted by the idea of reading a poem a day, if you can restrict yourself to only one, that is. This lovely collection introduces children to the joy of reading poetry, the rhythmic thrill of read-aloud rhymes, and the art of wrangling with words which they could be inspired to try themselves.
I love the vivid way the poems are illustrated. The compelling, colourful images really bring the verses and their messages to life, encourage interest and further exploration of the text. Grownups and children alike will have a whale of a time reading this brilliant book. Grateful thanks to Nosy Crow and NetGalley for the sample ARC.
by Joy Lenton
I’ve been looking for a new poetry anthology for my classroom and I believe I’ve found it!
I savoured every poem in the sample and found myself reading them out loud and chuckling away to myself as I did so. I particularly enjoyed January 1st, the elephants in February, May 17th and September 4th. Each poem is accompanied by gorgeous colourful illustrations which are the perfect complement. My class love poetry and every day we select a poem to read and share together and I know my children will enjoy devouring all of the treats within this anthology by poets both familiar and new too.
I can’t wait to be able to purchase a copy for myself.
by A
This was introduced to the school in a poetry assembly and the children adored it. It’s got a prime place on top of my classroom bookshelf now and it’s currently the no. 1 borrowed book by far (not just by my own class of Year 4s!). It’s going to have a prominent place in many assemblies to come. Every primary school should own a copy.
by monica mcaleer
Lovely having a poem for each day! Children like to hear the days poem when they visit
by Miss R
This gorgeous collection of poems is a must for all primary school teachers to have on their book shelf to dip in and out of as desired (personally I could never stick to sharing just one poem a day, but it’s a nice idea for those who wish to use it in such a way).
The illustrations are vibrant and inviting, the poems and poets featured are varied and interesting. It’s a beautifully presented book and I’m very pleased with this purchase.
My only warning would be that, as it is a hardback book containing 366 poems, it is by nature very very heavy!
by Karla_bookishlife
Guaranteed fun and giggles as you read through this wonderful anthology of poems from a wide range of poets. There are 366 belly-busting, laughter filled poems to fill each day of the year, including a leap year. Nosy Crow has once again created a stunning must- have collection for the whole family to enjoy. My kids and I continue to adore I am the Seed that Grew the Tree, Tiger Tiger Burning Bright, plus And Everything Will Be Glad To See You, so we cannot wait to add the hardback edition of this to our collection on publication day on September 14th. My kids and I thoroughly enjoyed this sampler with laugh out loud poems like Elephoney, The Dentist and the Crocodile, Octopus, Which Witch?, and My Woollen Sweater Itches Me. There are poems about animals, school, clothes, food, witches and more from much loved poets such as Maya Angelou, Roald Dahl, Wendy Cope, Brian Bilston, Benjamin Zephaniah, Michael Rosen and many, many more, all brought together by Lou Peacock. There is something to tickle the fancy of the whole family. Like all the other Nosy Crow anthologies, this is one we will want to own a physical copy of due to its sheer beauty. The illustrations by Matt Hunt are stunning, and the hardcopy will boast a luxurious cloth binding with a ribbon marker. I gift these books often due to their wonderful content and gorgeous appearance. #awhaleofatime #loupeacock #matthunt #netgalley #nosycrow #sampler
by Teresa
I like this book it has beautiful pictures but it is really big and heavy
by BardyMum
I am a definite grown-up (with an interest in poetry for children, admittedly) and I asked for this for my birthday. I was not disappointed! It’s huge, heavy, bright and beautifully illustrated, and the poems inside are genuinely funny. Plenty of familiar playground rhymes from childhood, classics by the like of Eleanor Farjeon (still sounding surprisingly modern) and Roald Dahl, favourites like Jack Prelutsky from USA, and contemporary British poets including Joshua Seigal, Carole Bromley, Valerie Bloom, Roger Stevens, Brian Bilston to name but a few. I’m sure children will return to this again and again (if they can get out from under it in the first place!)