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John Agard is a playwright, poet and children's writer from Guyana, who moved to the United Kingdom in 1977. He worked for the Commonwealth Institute from 1978 to 1985, travelling throughout the United Kingdom as a touring reader promoting the Caribbean culture to over 2000 schools. He currently resides in Lewes, near Brighton with his partner, the poet Grace Nichols. He became the first Writer in Residence at the South Bank Centre in London and became Poet in Residence at the BBC in London as well. He has won a total of five awards for his works, including the Paul Hamlyn Award for Poetry in 1997 and the Cholmondeley Award in 2004. John was Poet-in-Residence at the National Maritime Museum from August to November 2008.
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Award 2022 ages 3-6 | | Agard's evocative, lyrical style is perfectly complemented with illustrations by Momoko Abe, whose colourful visuals add character, transporting the reader into an enchanting world of imagination.
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 7 Shona loves words and discovering new ones, so she’s fascinated by the professor on TV talking about her campaign to protect dying languages. Shona’s teacher is a language-lover too and encourages the class to create a language nest. The class fills up with words from the different languages the children speak and there’s a special surprise guest at their World Language Day celebration. A story that takes real pleasure in words and language, this is a lively and entertaining read. Shona, her friends and family are fun to be with and every reader will pick up words they didn’t know to add to their own language nest. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 7+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
A brand-new anthology of poems by winner of the Queens Medal and the Eleanor Farjeon Award, John Agard Do triangles ever get into a tangle when their sides meet their angles? In this brand new collection of poems, John Agard draws on themes from nature and science to identity and inclusion, to inspire every reader. Here, we become transported by words and form on a journey through past and present. We are invited to answer life's questions, while having a great deal of fun at the same time ...Answers are folly when questions are bliss? Without questions, do I exist?
This collection from John Agard, winner of the Queens Medal and the Eleanor Farjeon Award, explores the wonders of the world - inviting your child to ponder life's questions with lots of fun along the way!
My name is Book and I ll tell you the story of my life. Non fiction like you've never read it before!
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7 Shona hates bats, horrid night-time beasties with their fluttery mouse-heads! To her they seem spooky and up to no good. But bats are part of her life whether she likes it or not. First one appears in her sitting-room disturbing her family’s cosy evening; then her teacher, who loves bats so much she has the Chinese symbol for bat as a tattoo, decides Shona’s class Hallowe’en assembly will be on the little creatures. The more she learns about them, the more Shona realises how lucky – serendipitous Miss Bates says – it was that bats moved into her house. John Agard cleverly mixes together natural history, myths about bats and Shona’s own family stories, and this charming little book teaches us that people, like bats, don’t fit the labels we give them. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 7+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
Tells us the story of the book! Told by none other than Book himself, this work begins with stories told from person to person, to writings on clay tablets to the development of parchment, right up to modern day and the ebook. But Book's not a straightforwardly chronological chap; he can't help musing - and his musings, whether they're on the evolution of the alphabet, libraries, book-burning or blurbs, are delightful and thought-provoking. Years of reflection and observation have gone into this charming title - John Agard signed the contract with Walker 16 years ago! Written by the winner of the 2012 Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, this is an utterly original, unique story of the book.
Interest Age 7-12 Reading Age 7+ A magical story about bringing people together. Shona has met a lot of apparently very different people on her day out with her Dad. At the Natural History Museum she meets Lucy who actually lived 3.2 million years ago. On the underground on the way home there are all kinds of people – Pinstripe Man, Kindle Woman, the iPod twins, Tattoo Fellow and Doctor Bananas who can do all kinds of magic. They all look completely different and seem to behave very differently. But it turns out that they have a lot in common, too! Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 7+
From the mysterious power of the decimal point to the oddity of odd numbers, fun and wonder are the essence of these remarkable poems.
Age 9+. Winner of The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education's Poetry Award for 2009 and nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2010. Brilliantly original, John Agard’s poetic reworking of Dante’s Inferno for a young, modern audience is a thrilling journey of discovery. Told in thirteen Cantos which follow the hero in a hoodie, it takes readers into the Circles of Hell where, among others, they confront Frankenstein, the Furies and Crone. Each is a life changing experience. Satoshi Kitamura’s illustrations confirm the dark experiences of the young hero.
Winner of The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education's Poetry Award for 2009 and nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal 2010. Brilliantly original, John Agard’s poetic reworking of Dante’s Inferno for a young, modern audience is a thrilling journey of discovery. Told in thirteen Cantos which follow the hero in a hoodie, it takes readers into the Circles of Hell where, among others, they confront Frankenstein, the Furies and Crone. Each is a life changing experience. Satoshi Kitamura’s illustrations confirm the dark experiences of the young hero.
Selected by a distinguished independent panel of experts including our editorial expert, Julia Eccleshare, for Diverse Voices - 50 of the best Children's Books celebrating cultural diversity in the UK. One of the the UK's top performance poets explores issues of race and identity in this classic collection.
The father of performance poetry, John Agard, brings you a collection of riotously funny poems. Follow that Word is a celebration of imagination and demonstrates the true diversity of language. A dazzling collection of over sixty poems, Follow That Word delivers John Agard's musings on people and places from the modern and historical world, this wonderful collection that can be rediscovered over and over again. With gorgeous black-and-white illustrations from Momoko Abe, Follow That Word takes you on a thought-provoking journey into the wonderful world of words, and this collection belongs on every bookshelf. 'It's been around from Creation dawn, And it only takes two to catch on, Try it people, and you'll soon see, This is a dance that can set you free, It's called the dance of diversity.' Reviews for Half-caste, and Other Poems: 'Rollicking Caribbean-flavored rhythms combined with serious matters such as racism define poet extraordinaire, Agard.' - Voya A performance poet, Agard uses his rhyme, repetition and refrains that make his work sing...Skilful use of humour to get his serious points across. - The Book Horn Inc
A beautiful poetic and visual delight Joseph Coelho A BEAUTIFULLY EVOCATIVE STORY OF A CHILD'S JOURNEY TO ENGLAND ON BOARD EMPIRE WINDRUSH, FROM AN INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED, MULTI-AWARD-WINNING POET AND AN EXTRAORDINARY DEBUT ILLUSTRATOR. you're stepping into history bringing your Caribbean eye to another horizon With one last hug, Windrush chid waves goodbye to his Caribbean home and sets sail across the ocean to Britain. In this powerful picture book, full of hope and promise, celebrated poet John Agard and illustrator Sophie Bass movingly evoke the journey made by children and their families as part of the Windrush Generation. PRAISE FOR JOHN AGARD'S WINDRUSH CHILD: A poetic story brought to life by Sophie Bass's colour-popping illustrations. Daily Mail A beautiful picture book with gorgeous illustrations ... I couldn't think of a better way for young children to learn about history and understand the world. David Walliams John Agard's hopeful poem commemorates a child's Windrush journey from the Caribbean, and bold and vivid illustrations sing of palm trees and mangos left behind, and new experiences, including pigeons and terraced houses and snow. 'One to Watch', The Sunday Times (Culture) Debut illustrator Bass's intricate, colourful, arresting pictures bring out all the resonances of Agard's spare text in this story of a child, a ship, a journey, and a new life enriched by the loves and memories of the old. Guardian A stunning picture book ... with the distinctive, vibrant art of Sophie Bass. The Bookseller A gorgeous bedtime read that will reward repeat readings, deceptively simple, emotionally deep. Joseph Coelho
A powerful picture book about communicating emotions and relating to fellow creatures, from an award-winning duo. Creature-of-No-Words lives a happy life on his own, but one day he gets a feeling like 'the chill touch of ice' and nothing can lift his sadness. Just then Creature-of-Words arrives and senses his despair. How can she help him communicate and become happy again? Age range 3 to 6 Of 'The Young Inferno' by the same author and artist: 'The words are from the extraordinary John Agard whose inventive verse is a constant wonder. Add the delights of artwork by Satoshi Kitamura and the whole book is inspired and tremendous; a total triumph.' School Librarian
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Award 2022 ages 3-6 | | Agard's evocative, lyrical style is perfectly complemented with illustrations by Momoko Abe, whose colourful visuals add character, transporting the reader into an enchanting world of imagination.
Interest Age 8-12 Reading Age 7 Shona loves words and discovering new ones, so she’s fascinated by the professor on TV talking about her campaign to protect dying languages. Shona’s teacher is a language-lover too and encourages the class to create a language nest. The class fills up with words from the different languages the children speak and there’s a special surprise guest at their World Language Day celebration. A story that takes real pleasure in words and language, this is a lively and entertaining read. Shona, her friends and family are fun to be with and every reader will pick up words they didn’t know to add to their own language nest. ~ Andrea Reece Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 7+ Barrington Stoke is the foremost publisher of dyslexia friendly books and those for reluctant readers. Here on Lovereading4kids we are constantly selecting new titles and refreshing our special dyslexia friendly category. Click here to view our current selection which is broken down by age range.
This collection from John Agard, winner of the Queens Medal and the Eleanor Farjeon Award, explores the wonders of the world - inviting your child to ponder life's questions with lots of fun along the way!
A tender, moving and joyous story from one of our nation's premier poets, John Agard From above earth, from above sky, from below earth, from under water, come all you little persons come exactly as you are. Come little bird person, come little bee person, come little tree person - little persons from all over the world join together to celebrate the dance of life and love in this stunning poem from John Agard. Stunningly illustrated by Jessica Courtney-Tickle, this is a book that both little persons and big persons will treasure and pore over for a lifetime, and is a true poem of our time. 'A lyrical collaboration . . . a joyful, tender dance, celebrating people, places and the glory of existence.' Guardian 'This book is a celebration of childhood and the natural world in all its rich diversity.' BookTrust
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