Paul Cookson - Author
Paul has been a poet for over twenty-five years, has written and edited over sixty collections, sold over a million books and visited thousands of schools, libraries and festivals all over the world. He is the Poet in Residence for the National Football Museum in Manchester, and his work has appeared in over 200 anthologies, on school posters, art installations, beer mats and even burger napkins.
He lives in Retford with his wife, two children, a dog, a room full of books and music, and too many ukuleles.
Paul Cookson’s collection does not claim to be the definitive hundred brilliant poems, but it comes close; providing a fun, inspiring and diverse introduction to poetry for children. Not only are the classics of Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Whitman out in force, but Cookson also introduces the delights of brand new poetry. His own poem ‘Let No One Steal Your Dreams’ is a beautiful and empowering opening, offering a message of encouragement that lingers in the mind as you read on. A collection to dip into before bed-time or to devour whole, which both children and adults will relish. A message from Gaby Morgan, Editorial Director at Pan Macmillan A gorgeous pick-and-mix packed with long-term favouries, song lyrics and brand-new delights. reading it out loud wull guarantee joy! It also includes some handy hints and starting points for reading, writing and performing at the back. A message from Paul Cookson Hello and welcome to 100 Brilliant Poems for Children. There will never be a definitive hundred brilliant poems . . . but I know that these are a hundred brilliant poems. I wanted to choose poems that have some sort of longevity: poems that are already classics, poems that are modern classics and poems that I feel will have a life beyond this book and become classics in their own right.The collection starts with my own ‘Let No One Steal Your Dreams’ – in fact, the idea for the collection started with that poem. It’s that feeling we are looking for – poems that inspire, and that are aspirational and entertaining in every way. I’ve chosen poems by my favourite poets, poems that I wish I’d written, poems that I’ll be forever jealous of and poems that have inspired me. I also wanted to include a few pieces that haven’t been seen before in a book for children. Words that have meant something to me, words that have touched me at particular times. I say words – as some of them began as songs I’ve played again and again, but with words that I feel work well as stand-alone poems. Not many songwriters are poets, but some are and I’ve included a few here – Billy Bragg, Michael McDermott, Nigel Stonier, Martin Stephenson, Henry Priestman (The Christians), Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff) and Stan Cullimore (The Housemartins). Check them out – I hope you like them. No, I’ll rephrase that – I hope you love them. Enjoy!
A terrific little book that’s full of poems about football. Many kids think poems are not for them, but perhaps with football fever in the air, as it is at the moment you can persuade them otherwise. This collection is full of humour and magic and includes poems about watching the matches, cheering on your heroes, reliving your favourite bits, the joy of winning, the heartbreak of losing and much, much more. The author is the poet in Residence at The National Football Museum and you could even become a fan by joining him on his Facebook page: Paul Cookson Poetry Fans (click here).Here’s one of our favourite poems from the collection but to read plenty of others, why not open the extract: GoalkeeperI patrol my goal from side to sideLike some demented spiderI leap to keep my net secureBut the goal keeps growing wider Click here to link back to a page featuring all of our World Cup selections.
The Very Best of Paul Cookson brings together twenty-five years of poetry. It includes his favourite poems and his most thoughtful, uplifting and memorable poems. Includes Let No One Steal Your Dreams, Father's Hands, May You Always, Invisible Magicians, This is Our School and many more.
Paul Cookson’s collection does not claim to be the definitive hundred brilliant poems, but it comes close; providing a fun, inspiring and diverse introduction to poetry for children. Not only are the classics of Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Whitman out in force, but Cookson also introduces the delights of brand new poetry. His own poem ‘Let No One Steal Your Dreams’ is a beautiful and empowering opening, offering a message of encouragement that lingers in the mind as you read on. A collection to dip into before bed-time or to devour whole, which both children and adults will relish. A message from Gaby Morgan, Editorial Director at Pan Macmillan A gorgeous pick-and-mix packed with long-term favouries, song lyrics and brand-new delights. reading it out loud wull guarantee joy! It also includes some handy hints and starting points for reading, writing and performing at the back. A message from Paul Cookson Hello and welcome to 100 Brilliant Poems for Children. There will never be a definitive hundred brilliant poems . . . but I know that these are a hundred brilliant poems. I wanted to choose poems that have some sort of longevity: poems that are already classics, poems that are modern classics and poems that I feel will have a life beyond this book and become classics in their own right.The collection starts with my own ‘Let No One Steal Your Dreams’ – in fact, the idea for the collection started with that poem. It’s that feeling we are looking for – poems that inspire, and that are aspirational and entertaining in every way. I’ve chosen poems by my favourite poets, poems that I wish I’d written, poems that I’ll be forever jealous of and poems that have inspired me. I also wanted to include a few pieces that haven’t been seen before in a book for children. Words that have meant something to me, words that have touched me at particular times. I say words – as some of them began as songs I’ve played again and again, but with words that I feel work well as stand-alone poems. Not many songwriters are poets, but some are and I’ve included a few here – Billy Bragg, Michael McDermott, Nigel Stonier, Martin Stephenson, Henry Priestman (The Christians), Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff) and Stan Cullimore (The Housemartins). Check them out – I hope you like them. No, I’ll rephrase that – I hope you love them. Enjoy!
This disgusting themed anthology of poems is written by various authors. The anthologies in this series are updated and revised versions of previously published titles, each with several brand new poems in them. There's an anthology for every place and topic. Make sure you've always got a verse rehearsed! Roaring dinosaur rhymes, silly school rhymes: even some revolting rhymes to get you groaning. You can rap or rhyme them, mime them out or tackle fiendish tongue-twisters. Heaps of rib-tickling rhymes to send you poetry potty, and it all supports the school curriculum. A matching Teacher Resource Book, written by Paul Cookson, features workshop-style lessons based on different poetry types/genres. Each lesson focuses on a specific poem from one of the anthologies.
This 'Silly' themed anthology of poems is written by various authors. The anthologies in this series are updated and revised versions of previously published titles, each with several brand new poems in them. There's an anthology for every place and topic. Make sure you've always got a verse rehearsed! Roaring dinosaur rhymes, silly school rhymes: even some revolting rhymes to get you groaning. You can rap or rhyme them, mime them out or tackle fiendish tongue-twisters. Heaps of rib-tickling rhymes to send you poetry potty, and it all supports the school curriculum. A matching Teacher Resource Book, written by Paul Cookson, features workshop-style lessons based on different poetry types/genres. Each lesson focuses on a specific poem from one of the anthologies.
This Teacher Resource Book, written by Paul Cookson, features workshop-style lessons based on different poetry types/genres. Each lesson focuses on a specific poem from one of the anthologies. The anthologies in this series are updated and revised versions of previously published titles, each with several brand new poems in them. There's an anthology for every place and topic. Make sure you've always got a verse rehearsed! Roaring dinosaur rhymes, silly school rhymes: even some revolting rhymes to get you groaning. You can rap or rhyme them, mime them out or tackle fiendish tongue-twisters. Heaps of rib-tickling rhymes to send you poetry potty, and it all supports the school curriculum.
This Dinosaur themed anthology of poems is written by various authors. The anthologies in this series are updated and revised versions of previously published titles, each with several brand new poems in them. There's an anthology for every place and topic. Make sure you've always got a verse rehearsed! Roaring dinosaur rhymes, silly school rhymes: even some revolting rhymes to get you groaning. You can rap or rhyme them, mime them out or tackle fiendish tongue-twisters. Heaps of rib-tickling rhymes to send you poetry potty, and it all supports the school curriculum. A matching Teacher Resource Book, written by Paul Cookson, features workshop-style lessons based on different poetry types/genres. Each lesson focuses on a specific poem from one of the anthologies.
The Works 3 contains poems by 52 poets - one for every single week of the year. There are seven poems by each poet, which gives a fantastic variety to the book. All the major themes and forms of poetry are to be found within this chunky paperback, and there is a biography of each poet at the beginning of their week. Another essential book for teachers, but also a joyful celebration of the best poets of all time, both classic and contemporary. Tennyson, Wordsworth and Shakespeare rub shoulders with Brian Moses, Roger McGough and Brian Patten. A must-have book.
It was frantic at the front and chaos at the back Madness rules in the middle of the pack Anarchy and mayhem, everybody daft On our school photograph Pens are in ears, pencils up noses Nobody is sitting in serious poses If you think the kids look bad - you should see the staff In our school photograph Friends and bullies, first day and last day, school dinners and dinner ladies, playtime and staffroom stowaways, not forgetting the GIANT supply teacher... This book is all about YOUR school, so open the door and enter the Crazy Classrooms! Fifty fantastic poems about school from one of the UK' s top performance poets.
THE WORKS contains every kind of poem you will ever need for the Literacy Hour but it is also a book packed with brilliant poems that will delight any reader. It's got chants, action verses, riddles, tongue twisters, shape poems, puns, acrostics, haikus, cinquains, kennings, couplets, thin poems, lists, conversations, monologues, epitaphs, songs, limericks, tankas, nonsense poems, raps, narrative verse and performance poetry that's just for starters. It features poems from the very best classic and modern poets, for example: William Blake, Michael Rosen, Robert Louis Stevenson, Allan Ahlberg, W.H. Auden, Brian Patten, Roger McGough, Roald Dahl, Charles Causley, Eleanor Farjeon, Benjamin Zephaniah, Ted Hughes, T.S. Eliot and William Shakespeare to name but a few. A book packed with gems for dipping in to time and time again.
Paul Cookson's Joke Shop brings together his favourite poems, his funniest poems and his most memorable poems - as well as a selection of brand new unpublished favourites. Twenty five years of laughter can be found within these pages including gems such The Toilet Seat Has Teeth, Superman's Dog, Where Teacher's Keep Their Pets, Let No One Steal Your Dreams and many many more. Paul Cookson's Joke Shop has been open for twenty five years - come back any time!
What is the Tarantulator? Who are the Piranhadons from Quadrant Nine? Where exactly is the Flabwind Galaxy? How do you defeat the Robot Army? Aliens, spaceships, rockets, planes, strange happenings. All these and much, much more can be found in this brand-new collection of poems by bestselling poets Paul Cookson and David Harmer.
A family fun-filled holiday, Seaside football - match of the day, On the beach - the score nine nine When the match went into injury time. We soon forgot our day for sports When the wasp flew up my brother' s shorts. Meet sensational scorers, dependable defenders, great goalkeepers and fanatical fans like Great Gran. Find out who always shouts at the ref, what is scary about being in the wall, where the wasp flew and why you shouldn' t put mums in goals. Every aspect of the football season and more are brilliantly brought to life by poet and football fan Paul Cookson.
This fabulous activity book is packed full of football related doodles! From designing your team's mascot to creating some very funny footballer hairstyles this book will keep football fans entertained for hours. No drawing skills required - all it takes is a bit of imagination and a pencil!
A fantastic collection of very funny monster poems from two bestselling poets. Find out what to do if there is a monster under your bed, a zombie in the garden or a cyclops in your school. Beware the mighty Sockodile and the Death Kiss Suction Grandma Leeches and if you see a mutant vampire teacher . . . run for your life . . .
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