Michael Rosen - Author
Michael Rosen is a hugely bestselling author of picture books and poetry. Michael frequently appears on radio and gives talks and lectures on children’s literature. Michael was the Children’s Laureate for 2007–2009 and the winner of the Eleanor Farjeon Award. He lives in London.
Join Michael Rosen as he attempts to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the Largest reading lesson at 10am on Tues. 15 July. Watch below.
Michael Rosen on Michael Rosen:
I grew up in the London suburb of Pinner, a place my parents often wondered about. How had we landed there? My parents were teachers, politically committed (socialists), and great storytellers and readers. I was lucky to have found them.
Most of my adult life, I've been a freelance writer, teacher (of sorts), journalist, performer and broadcaster. I visit schools doing my one-man show, and support Arsenal Football Club.
I have often written about my life and family, but I also write occasional fantasy (usually based in a real place) and non-fiction.
Things you didn't know about Michael Rosen
I wear size 12 shoes.
I like speaking French.
I'm an atheist.
I love mobile phones.
I love houmous.
I can't live without green warty pickled gherkins.
I hate racism.
My father was American.
I can slide my top lip one way and my bottom lip the other.
I can play the harmonica.
Photo credit Laurence Cendroicz
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2018 | Everyone who has ever had a pet will love this funny and charming story about a little boy and the hamster he gets for Christmas. Leo needs cheering up and, with Christmas coming, he takes the opportunity to ask for the one thing that he thinks will make him happy: a pet hamster. Luckily, Dad has Father Christmas’s number on his phone so Leo can order it direct – and get some help from spell-check! But when the hamster comes Leo can see that his new pet is not altogether happy. Hampstead the Hamster needs a present too!
Shortlisted for the CLPE Children’s Poetry Award (CLiPPA) 2017 A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month September 2018 | | Michael Rosen is the bestselling author of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, along with many other picture books and collections of poetry. Packed with silly rhymes, witty wordplay and thought-provoking story poems, this new collection of poems will delight children of all ages.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2018 | | Uncle Gobb is back for a third utterly ridiculous, absolutely hilarious and totally originally told adventure. Michael Rosen and Neal Layton use a brilliant integration of words and pictures to tell this meandering and many-layered story which engages readers with the complexity and creativity of storytelling.
Featuring a selection of rhymes for the very young adapted from Michael Rosen and Chris Riddell’s award-winning A Great Big Cuddle, Wiggly Wiggly is a tour de force of catchy rhythms and bouncy beats, cheerful pictures and cheeky characters. Each of the nine rhymes are made to be read aloud, made to encourage the very littlest to join in with the sounds, the words, the actions (wriggling, bouncing, sloshing, finger walking). The verses will hold their appeal no matter how many times you have to read them (hundreds), while the draughtsmanship and vitality of Chris Riddell’s illustrations takes the breath away with each turn of the page. They’re never too young for poetry and this is an absolute nursery must-have.
When I was a boy, I had a favourite treat. It was when my mum made . . . CHOCOLATE CAKE! Ohhh! I LOVED chocolate cake. Brought to life as a picture book for the first time with brilliant and characterful illustrations by Kevin Waldron.
In a nutshell: Really? An Uncle Gobb story in a nutshell? You’re having a laugh | Malcolm, his best friend Crackersnacker and Malcolm’s awful homework-obsessed, bean counting (unless it’s literal bean counting – see page 1) Uncle Gobb of Gobb Education are back for another helping of riotous adventure that sends all three on a trip to the United States. Packed with humour and word play that delights in turning logic, literalism and much of the story line on its head this will have readers in hysterics. Neal Layton’s smudgy energetic illustrations match the zany anarchy of Michael Rosen’s story brilliantly. ~ Andrea Reece
Discover the weird and wonderful world of martians, woolly saucepans and centrally heated knickers in 100 poems about science and technology from the delightfully irreverent, Michael Rosen.
This classic picture book is such a triumph of words and illustration, as satisfying to look at as it is to read aloud, that it hardly needs an extra gimmick, but snow globes are irresistible and there’s something particularly pleasing about shaking the snowflakes around in this special gift edition, especially when reading about the swirling, whirling snowstorm, “Hoooo woooo! “Hoooo woooo!” It will be fun to share this with children and it’s a book that everyone should own. ~ Andrea Reece *** Last Christmas Channel 4 showed an animated TV adaptation of We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Find out more here! Michael Rosen said: “I am absolutely delighted that Channel 4 has commissioned this animation. Lupus have a great record in this field and I am very excited to be part of the project. Helen Oxenbury's wonderful art work provides a powerful family saga, full of imagined or real trials and these pictures will give a basis for a moving Christmas drama.” Helen Oxenbury said: "I'm so looking forward to seeing the book brought to life in this way. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring We're Going on a Bear Hunt to even more children and I'm thrilled to be part of it." Jay Hunt, Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer, said: “Going on a Bear Hunt is a magical book that will be brought alive for a whole new audience by Lupus Films. I can’t wait.”
Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017 | Joint Winner of the CLiPPA 2016 (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award). Children’s Laureates Chris Riddell and Michael Rosen combine here to create a beautiful collection of ebullient poems for the very young. Michael Rosen’s close and affectionate observation of small children and the way they think is brilliantly captured in poems such as You Can’t See Me and Let Me Do It. There are also plenty of opportunities for the very young to join in with poems such as Tippy-Tappy and The Button Bop which they are guaranteed to want to hear again and again! Chris Riddell’s illustrations created an equally warm-hearted view of the early years and capture the spirit of the poems perfectly. ~ Julia Eccleshare
In a nutshell: Really? An Uncle Gobb story in a nutshell? You’re having a laugh | Malcolm, his best friend Crackersnacker and Malcolm’s awful homework-obsessed, bean counting (unless it’s literal bean counting – see page 1) Uncle Gobb of Gobb Education are back for another helping of riotous adventure that sends all three on a trip to the United States. Packed with humour and word play that delights in turning logic, literalism and much of the story line on its head this will have readers in hysterics. Neal Layton’s smudgy energetic illustrations match the zany anarchy of Michael Rosen’s story brilliantly. ~ Andrea Reece
With her cheery, distinctive voice and passion for bagels, little dog Shnipp is a very jolly character and certain to be a real favourite with young readers. Running away one day on impulse she’s taken in by Bessie the Bagel Lady; then, when the foxes tell her just how much she’s missed by her owners, she decides just as impulsively to run back home. The story bowls along as merrily as Shnipp at full stretch, full of humour and sprinkled with black and white illustrations by Tony Ross. Great fun for solo reading and for sharing at bedtime too. ~ Andrea Reece
A detailed and very personal guide to reading and writing poetry by one of the country's leading children's poets. Lovereading Review will follow...
A signed, limited edition of the classic chant-aloud by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. The perfect gift for brave hunters and bear-lovers everywhere! Fantastic, cumulative adventure as a family cheerfully sets out on a brave hunt to find the bear - and this new edition has interactive sound! It could be frightening but they’re not scared. They’re full of confidence in what they are doing. Caves, mud, rivers, forest … whatever obstacles the family encounters, they resolutely overcome them happily repeating the chorus:“We can’t go over it”, “We can’t go under it”, “Oh no! We’ve got to go through it”.But when they find the bear its’ a lot more scary than they had thought and they hurtle home repeating all the noises as they go. ~ Julia Eccleshare *** The animation created by Walker Productions and Lupus Films aired at Christmas 2016 on Channel 4 was viewed by over 6 million people, and is now available on DVD from Universal. Michael Rosen says: “I am absolutely delighted that Channel 4 has commissioned this animation. Lupus have a great record in this field and I am very excited to be part of the project. Helen Oxenbury's wonderful art work provides a powerful family saga, full of imagined or real trials and these pictures will give a basis for a moving Christmas drama.” Helen Oxenbury says: "I'm so looking forward to seeing the book brought to life in this way. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring We're Going on a Bear Hunt to even more children and I'm thrilled to be part of it." Jay Hunt, Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer, says: “Going on a Bear Hunt is a magical book that will be brought alive for a whole new audience by Lupus Films. I can’t wait.”
Shortlisted for the CLPE Children’s Poetry Award (CLiPPA) 2017 Packed with silly rhymes, witty wordplay and thought-provoking story poems, this new collection of poems will delight children of all ages.
Join in the bear hunt with this fabulous activity book, based on the classic picture book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Little ones will be absorbed for hours with this fun book filled with engaging activities. *** This Christmas Channel 4 will show an animated TV adaptation of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, to be broadcast on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Michael Rosen says: “I am absolutely delighted that Channel 4 has commissioned this animation. Lupus have a great record in this field and I am very excited to be part of the project. Helen Oxenbury's wonderful art work provides a powerful family saga, full of imagined or real trials and these pictures will give a basis for a moving Christmas drama.” Helen Oxenbury says: "I'm so looking forward to seeing the book brought to life in this way. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring We're Going on a Bear Hunt to even more children and I'm thrilled to be part of it." Jay Hunt, Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer, says: “Going on a Bear Hunt is a magical book that will be brought alive for a whole new audience by Lupus Films. I can’t wait.”
Malcom’s Uncle Gobb is really irritating, and not just because he keeps shouting ‘the boy needs to do more homework’. When Gobb Education starts taking over their school, and Uncle Gobb sets up the dread ‘Dread Shed’ in their playground, Malcolm and his best friend Crackersnacker decide they’ve got to get rid him. Children will love seeing Malcolm bamboozle and confuzle Uncle Gobb to a standstill with entirely logical but unanswerable questions and Neal Layton’s scratchy illustrations brilliantly match the riotous tone. Great fun for children, who will recognise the absurdities Malcolm faces daily, less enjoyable reading perhaps for any secretaries of state for education. ~ Andrea Reece One of our Books of the Year 2015 Click here to download an activity pack for Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed.
So what was it like to live in Shakespeare's time? What do we actually know about him? And how does someone become that famous? These are just a few of the questions addressed in this lively and accessible book on the life and works of William Shakespeare by award-winning author, Michael Rosen. It includes studies of four of Shakespeare's plays, facts and information about Shakespeare and the world at this time.
Shakespeare’s writing was extraordinary four hundred years ago, and it’s still extraordinary today says Michael Rosen in this splendid and inspiring introduction to the bard. Rosen demonstrates to young people just why Shakespeare is still acted, read and quoted today and how his work still shapes our language and culture. His enthusiasm is irresistible. Taking examples from Romeo and Juliet he shows how relevant the play still is to young people and explains – clearly and succinctly – how the action, characters and dramatic tension still affect modern audiences. There’s also fascinating information about Shakespeare’s life, times and schooling and about the first Globe Theatre, and this is one of the very best books to introduce children to Shakespeare. ~ Andrea Reece
Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen will delight all readers with this hugely enjoyable and easy to chant rhyming picture book. Riding a bike, going far in a car or, when it starts to rain going in the train are all fun. So too are the more imaginative thoughts of riding on a fish, sitting on a cloud or flying to the moon in a hot-air balloon. But, best of all is the bus! Just because - ‘the bus is for us!’ ~ Julia Eccleshare
You’re never too young for the brilliance of a book such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Walker Books have taken Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury’s classic picture book and condensed it into a chunky board book. The illustrations sparkle in miniature and there are lots of opportunities for joining in – splish splash through the river, squelch squerch through the oozy mud, hoo woo through the whirling snowstorm. A handy strap and clip enable you to attach this sturdy little book to a buggy or carrier and take it out on bear hunts of your own! ~ Andrea Reece You might also like We're Going on a Bear Hunt Colouring Book and We're Going on a Bear Hunt Sticker Activitiy Book!
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child It’s hard to know who will laugh more at this new picture book, children or their parents! Any adult who has undergone a long car journey with kids will be familiar with the phrase ‘I can’t drive properly if you two are going mad in the back’! Michael Rosen and Richard Watson describe just such a journey, and make it really funny. Mum’s frustration and irritation grows as the two in the back bicker, fight and make endless demands for drinks, until she eventually explodes! Sounds familiar? The pictures are hilarious and it’s brilliant for reading out loud too. Read and enjoy in the comfort of your home, not on the road. ~ Andrea Reece Publisher Barrington Stoke was inspired to create the Picture Squirrel Books titles after meeting a man with dyslexia at a book event. “We were approached by a gentleman who told us that it broke his heart that he couldn’t read to his child because of his dyslexia,” M.D. Mairi Kidd told The Bookseller. “So we talked to Michael Morpurgo, who we were already working with on low text books [textbooks that use a limited number of words]." The layout of picture books can be difficult for adults with dyslexia as the language and typeface are often very varied, the text can be cut into small chunks or is sometimes spun around a picture, which can make a book tricky if you don’t have good reading skills. Barrington Stoke worked with the authors and illustrators to ensure that the books are suitable for dyslexic readers and thereby helping more families grow a love of reading. On the Picture Squirrels...Michael Morpurgo says: “I was immediately taken with the idea of the Picture Squirrel books, a picture book list that dyslexic parents and less confident readers can read with theirchildren too.”
Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017 | Joint Winner of the CLiPPA 2016 (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award). Children’s Laureates Chris Riddell and Michael Rosen combine here to create a beautiful collection of ebullient poems for the very young. Michael Rosen’s close and affectionate observation of small children and the way they think is brilliantly captured in poems such as You Can’t See Me and Let Me Do It. There are also plenty of opportunities for the very young to join in with poems such as Tippy-Tappy and The Button Bop which they are guaranteed to want to hear again and again! Chris Riddell’s illustrations created an equally warm-hearted view of the early years and capture the spirit of the poems perfectly. ~ Julia Eccleshare One of our Books of the Year 2015 - A Reader Review Panel Pick of the Year 2015 - chosen by Robyn Chorely, aged 5- Julia Eccleshare's Book of the Month, September 2015
One of our Books of the Year 2015 - June 2015 Book of the Month Malcom’s Uncle Gobb is really irritating, and not just because he keeps shouting ‘the boy needs to do more homework’. When Gobb Education starts taking over their school, and Uncle Gobb sets up the dread ‘Dread Shed’ in their playground, Malcolm and his best friend Crackersnacker decide they’ve got to get rid him. Children will love seeing Malcolm bamboozle and confuzle Uncle Gobb to a standstill with entirely logical but unanswerable questions and Neal Layton’s scratchy illustrations brilliantly match the riotous tone. Great fun for children, who will recognise the absurdities Malcolm faces daily, less enjoyable reading perhaps for any secretaries of state for education. ~ Andrea Reece Click here to download an activity pack for Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed.
Colour in the bear hunt with this wonderful colouring activity book, based on the classic picture book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Helen Oxenbury's beautiful illustrations are as enchanting here as in the beloved original, and Michael Rosen's brilliantly rhythmic words provide the inspiration for every exciting activity. You might also like We're Going on a Bear Hunt Sticker Activitiy Book!
Join in the bear hunt with this fabulous sticker activity book, based on the classic picture book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Little ones will be absorbed for hours with this sticker book filled with engaging activities. You might also like We're Going on a Bear Hunt Colouring Book!
May 2015 Book of the Month This tale of the busy Hurrys may well strike a chord with families everywhere. Mr and Mrs Hurry are always rushing, but especially in the mornings. One day they dash off to their respective jobs in such a hurry that neither notices they’ve left their son Harry at home. What will he do? He’s too small to go to school on his own, and too small to stay at home on his own either. Fortunately, Tiggs the cat realises what’s happened. Family life is exaggerated to great comic effect, and children will love the idea of Tiggs taking control. A funny, satisfying story for emerging readers. ~ Andrea Reece
Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen will delight all readers with this hugely enjoyable and easy to chant rhyming picture book. Riding a bike, going far in a car or, when it starts to rain going in the train are all fun. So too are the more imaginative thoughts of riding on a fish, sitting on a cloud or flying to the moon in a hot-air balloon. But, best of all is the bus! Just because - ‘the bus is for us!’ ~ Julia Eccleshare
One of our Books of the Year 2014 Fantastic, cumulative adventure as a family cheerfully sets out on a brave hunt to find the bear - and this new edition has interactive sound! It could be frightening but they’re not scared. They’re full of confidence in what they are doing. Caves, mud, rivers, forest … whatever obstacles the family encounters, they resolutely overcome them happily repeating the chorus:“We can’t go over it”, “We can’t go under it”, “Oh no! We’ve got to go through it”.But when they find the bear its’ a lot more scary than they had thought and they hurtle home repeating all the noises as they go. ~ Julia Eccleshare There is a new website celebrating 25 years Bear Hunting - visit www.jointhebearhunt.com for everything a bear hunter could need including activities, videos, competitions and tour dates. The book has sold in nearly 30 countries and in over 20 languages.
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child Best-selling Michael Rosen teams up with the brilliant illustrator Chris Mould in this scary story with a witty twist. Wolf Man is on the loose. He is ripping up paving stones and biting huge chunks out of trees. He is terrorising everyone – even the chief of police. Wolf Man goes right up to the Police Chief’s front door. What will happen when he opens it? Publisher Barrington Stoke was inspired to create the Picture Squirrel Books titles after meeting a man with dyslexia at a book event. “We were approached by a gentleman who told us that it broke his heart that he couldn’t read to his child because of his dyslexia,” M.D. Mairi Kidd told The Bookseller. “So we talked to Michael Morpurgo, who we were already working with on low text books [textbooks that use a limited number of words]." The layout of picture books can be difficult for adults with dyslexia as the language and typeface are often very varied, the text can be cut into small chunks or is sometimes spun around a picture, which can make a book tricky if you don’t have good reading skills. Barrington Stoke worked with the authors and illustrators to ensure that the books are suitable for dyslexic readers and thereby helping more families grow a love of reading. On the Picture Squirrels...Michael Morpurgo says: “I was immediately taken with the idea of the Picture Squirrel books, a picture book list that dyslexic parents and less confident readers can read with theirchildren too.”
January 2014 Book of the Month Best-selling Michael Rosen captures the dilemma of any dog choosing a new home – and any home finding a new dog! Terri-Lee goes to the pet shop to choose a dog. But, Crumble isn’t any ordinary dog. It doesn’t take him long to make it clear that it is he has very specific expectations of his new owner. Will Terri-Lee come up to scratch in this funny and also thought proving about dogs and their owners?
This is the 25th anniversary edition of this bestselling title which well-deserves its classic status. It has become the staple of pre-school life across the globe. Told in a simple rhythmic text that's full of action and it is matched by Helen Oxenbury’s wonderful illustrations which perfectly capture the fun and the wide range of emotions of the family day out that the story encompasses. This attractive new edition includes a beautiful dust jacket. There is a new website celebrating 25 years Bear Hunting - visit www.jointhebearhunt.com for everything a bear hunter could need including activities, videos, competitions and tour dates. You'll also find details of the Walker Books and Read for the RNIB Day in July 14 when there will be a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ record attempt for the world’s largest reading lesson. Want to be involved then go to www.jointhebearhunt.com. The book has sold in nearly 30 countries and in over 20 languages.
This is the 25th anniversary board book edition of this bestselling title which well-deserves its classic status. It has become the staple of pre-school life across the globe. Told in a simple rhythmic text that's full of action and it is matched by Helen Oxenbury’s wonderful illustrations which perfectly capture the fun and the wide range of emotions of the family day out that the story encompasses. There is a new website celebrating 25 years Bear Hunting - visit www.jointhebearhunt.com for everything a bear hunter could need including activities, videos, competitions and tour dates. The book has sold in nearly 30 countries and in over 20 languages.
Perfect for every child who’s just beginning to read alone, this hilarious tale is a roller coaster ride of fame and fortune and the possible resulting disasters. Elvie longs for a dog but gets a goldfish instead! Undeterred from following her ambition to own a famous performing pet, she trains her goldfish in the unusual art of… farting. Soon Fluff the fish is a celebrity. What on earth can go wrong???
Just how did Roald Dahl get into writing? Where did he get his ideas from? What ingredients in his life turned him into the kind of writer he was? Michael Rosen - poet, broadcaster and former Children's Laureate, comes up with some of the answers to these key questions in his lively biography of the world's Number1 storyteller. Full of stories and funny anecdotes from Roald Dahl's school days and family life, Michael Rosen's fascinating observations creates a vivid picture of one of the most famous writers of all time.
How a younger brother finds the skills he needs to match all the clever things his older brother does is magically resolved when Raffi goes up, up and away with an exceptional blue cat. It’s a dark, dark night when Raffi and the strange cat who appears in his bedroom take off into the night. Together, they light up everything around them – even the stars. Michael Foreman’s night time sky-scapes with their exceptional range of blues provide a perfect background and complimented by a lyrical story from the pen of a major talent in children's literature. It's fun.
A sequel to Dear Mother Goose , this is a hilarious collection of fairy stories with a difference. All the best-loved fairy-tale characters are here and they all have a different problem from the pesky girl who keeps eating little bear's porridge, to Pinocchio's mendacious habits, to the wolf who just won't leave Little Red Riding Hood alone. Wittily illustrated by Nick Sharratt, with a very funny text from Michael Rosen, this is a novelty book full of unexpected solutions - and a party at the end! The simple lift-the-flap novelty elements are put to brilliant effect.
Bob is a bear with a difference! He tries to everything he’s been taught before he goes out to be with a family but although he shows them his exercises, tries to be cuddly and does some reading, nothing seem to attract their attention. The he does something really special…How Bob bursts into pieces and entertains his new family will delight all the readers of the story too!
Age 3+. Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen’s wonderfully touching and witty poems take readers through many familiar family moments such as Dad loosing his glasses in 'Where are his Glasses?' as well as some wildly inventive experiences as in 'A Dangerous Raisin'. Interspersing the poems Rosen adds different versions of his classic 'Down Behind the Dustbin' as a refrain adding many witty variations. There are also some excellent Michael Rosen remixes of classic nursery rhymes.
A Lovereading4kids 'Great Read' you may have missed 2011 selection. Best-selling author of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen has a gift for playful humour for the very young. How Small, in this case a fly, can outsmart Big – an elephant, hippo and a great big tiger - is delightfully played out allowing the child reader to follow and wonder before being delighted by the surprise! Bold illustrations capture the drama perfectly.
Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen writes with great humour and economy in this delicious tease of a book. Just how much chaos can one tiny fly cause? Plenty! The great big elephant, the great big hippo and the great big tiger are all determined to get that one tiny fly. But, guess who has the last laugh? Kevin Waldron’s illustrations capture the humour of the unequal battle between big and tiny.
Age 7+. Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen brilliantly entertaining poems capture all kinds of moments of childhood – funny, sad, outrageous, tender, serious – many of which happened in his own childhood. Through them he charts some terrible things he did as a child – including breaking a toothbrush! – as well as some not so terrible but still highly entertaining. Great for reading aloud with your children.
This is an exhilarating story about friends helping each other realise their dreams and, having great fun doing it. When bear wants to fly he’s helped by four little children to realise his dream. What fun they have. In addition, it comes complete with an audio CD that is read by the author. It’s a perfect book for reading aloud and for listening to on a journey. A joyful follow up to The Bear in the Cave and We’re going on a Bear Hunt.
This is an exhilarating story about friends helping each other realise their dreams and, having great fun doing it. When bear wants to fly he’s helped by four little children to realise his dream. What fun they have. In addition, it comes complete with an audio CD that is read by the author. It’s a perfect book for reading aloud and for listening to on a journey. A joyful follow up to The Bear in the Cave and We’re going on a Bear Hunt.
Age 7+. Favourite classic poems are included in this hugely satisfying and handsomely illustrated collection. Among my favourites are the familiar nonsense of Edward Lear, Shelley’s mysterious and hauntingly beautiful Ozymandias and Edward Thomas’s Adlestrop. Others will find their own favourites. There is a useful glossary at the end as well as biographical sketches and notes on the poets by Michael Rosen. It is part of the Walker Illustrated Classics, a new series which brings together some of the best-loved stories ever told, illustrated by some of today's finest artists. These exquisitely designed books, with their magnificent words and glorious pictures, are a pleasure to read - and re-read. The classics have never looked so good. To view other titles in the Walker Illustrated Classics series go to our Classics genre and click the Illustrated tab.
Age 9+ Children’s Laureate and poet Michael Rosen offers children a rich taste of the world's poetry in this broad-ranging collection which includes classic work by Virgil, Chaucer, Donne, Milton and Coleridge, as well as contemporary verse by poets including Roger McGough and John Hegley. With sections of ballads, limericks and nonsense verse, this exhilarating collection is bursting with wit and joy, making it a wonderful addition to any bookshelf.
From the brilliantly talented author of We’re going on a Bear Hunt, comes a wonderfully warm and funny story about a bear who lives by the sea but thinks life in the city will be more fun – until he actually goes there and gets lost. All comes good in the end when some children take him back home. The text and illustrations combine to make a wonderfully appealing story for young children everywhere. In addition, it comes complete with an audio CD that is read by the author. A perfect book for reading aloud with the sing-along text and the sleepy ending make it the perfect bedtime read.
For anyone who loves ‘The Beautiful Game’ and who has ever dreamed of playing in an F.A. Cup Final then this is the perfect book. Even Stevens F.C. are a non-league side from Hackney who by extraordinary circumstances end up having a run in the F.A. Cup. The story follows 9-year-old Wayne Travis who perfects the special ‘triple bounce shot’ to help his side progress against much superior opposition. This book is great fun, full of charming pictures and is ideal for getting young boys into reading.
If you only want one collection of poetry on your child’s bookshelf then it has to be this stunning 25th anniversary hardback collection by best-selling author Michael Rosen and illustrator Quentin Blake. Alone or together with your child you will be totally transported into the words and pictures and if the book wasn’t good enough it also comes with a CD of the poems read by the author. Poet Laureate Michael best-selling classic collections of poems, “You Can't Catch Me" and "You Can't Put Mustard in the Custard" were first published 25 years ago. Now reissued in a bumper collection, which also shows off Quentin Blake’s accompanying illustrations to excellent advantage, this is a perfect introduction to some of the best and most child centred poems of today. Michael Rosen reads his own poems on the accompanying CD, which is pure magic.
From the brilliantly talented author of We’re going on a Bear Hunt , comes a wonderfully warm and funny story about a bear who lives by the sea but thinks life in the city will be more fun – until he actually goes there and gets lost. All comes good in the end when some children take him back home. The text and illustrations combine to make a wonderfully appealing story for young children everywhere. In addition, it comes complete with an audio CD that is read by the author.
This is a totally unique kaleidoscopic collection of children’s stories from around the world with illustrations by some outstanding artists including Helen Oxenbury, John Burningham, Axel Scheffler and Michael Foreman to name just four. It will fascinate children from 5 upwards and is perfect for sharing at bedtime. Michael Rosen has brought the collection together and Oxfam will receive royalties from the sale of every book so in addition to being a great joy to read, by buying it you’re giving something to families less well off than ourselves.
Age 6+ This collection is an ideal introduction to the joys of poetry. Favourite children's poet Michael Rosen knows just what will appeal most to children. Deliberately wide-ranging, it includes the work of classic poets such as Tennyson and Coleridge as well as traditional playground rhymes and folk songs from around the world. The collection also addresses different themes - here are funny, sad, wistful and intriguing poems. All have been specially chosen for their accessibility to young children, to stimulate their imaginations, to further their enjoyment of language, and to encourage a delight in poetry.
He's wild, he's wicked, he's Little Rabbit Foo-Foo! The bully-boy bunny likes nothing better than to ride through the forest bopping everyone on the head. Wriggly worms, tigers, no one is safe. But here comes the Good Fairy - and she is not amused!
Age 9+ This is an invaluable introduction to poets and poetry, with lively biographical sketches and fascinating notes written by Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen, this is a classic collection to be read from cover to cover and back again or just dipped into from time.
Age 0-5+ People, cats, hats, the silvery moon are just some of the entertaining images you’ll see and hear in this entertaining and colourfully illustrated collection of poems, compiled by award-winning poet and Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen. Written in lots of different styles – limericks, tongue twisters, and nursery rhymes as you’ve never seen them before.
In the best tradition of nonsense verse, here are poems, rhymes, wordplay and limericks to make everyone smile and laugh out loud. Children will delight in unravelling the meanings of the words and in creating their own nonsense verse.
Age 6+ Containing all the ingredients of Michael Rosen's poetry - humour, rhyme, repetition and wordplay, this Book of Very Silly Poems covers all sorts of topics, all equally amusing and jovial.
Fantastic, cumulative adventure as a family cheerfully sets out on a brave hunt to find the bear. It could be frightening but they’re not scared. They’re full of confidence in what they are doing. Caves, mud, rivers, forest … whatever obstacles the family encounters, they resolutely overcome them happily repeating the chorus:“We can’t go over it”, “We can’t go under it”, “Oh no! We’ve got to go through it”.But when they find the bear its’ a lot more scary than they had thought and they hurtle home repeating all the noises as they go. ~ Julia Eccleshare Perfect for Reluctant Readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
Celebrate 30 wonderful years of We're Going on a Bear Hunt in this special anniversary edition of the much-loved family favourite. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? For thirty years, readers have been swishy-swashying and splash-sploshing through this award-winning favourite. This new anniversary paperback edition brings the story to life for a whole new generation of readers. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river, squelch through the mud and brave their way through the swirling, whirling snowstorm in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest!
Celebrate 30 wonderful years of We're Going on a Bear Hunt in this special anniversary edition of the much-loved family favourite. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? For thirty years, readers have been swishy-swashying and splash-sploshing through this award-winning favourite. This new anniversary board book brings the story to life for a whole new generation of young readers. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river, squelch through the mud and brave their way through the swirling, whirling snowstorm in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest!
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2018 | Everyone who has ever had a pet will love this funny and charming story about a little boy and the hamster he gets for Christmas. Leo needs cheering up and, with Christmas coming, he takes the opportunity to ask for the one thing that he thinks will make him happy: a pet hamster. Luckily, Dad has Father Christmas’s number on his phone so Leo can order it direct – and get some help from spell-check! But when the hamster comes Leo can see that his new pet is not altogether happy. Hampstead the Hamster needs a present too!
Let your imagination run riot and laughter fill your belly as you explore traditional poems, rhymes with a twist, and subversive playground favourites in this playful treasure chest of verse.
This Christmas, join Michael Rosen and Tony Ross with their unforgettable retelling of Charles Dickens' beloved classic. In a school theatrical production of A Christmas Carol , the boy who plays Scrooge is extra nervous because his very busy father is in the audience. However, it's likely his father won't stay for the duration, due to business. As always. Will the classic story's message of Christmas cheer and family love reach his father's distracted heart?
In this humorous and moving memoir, Michael Rosen recalls the first twenty-three years of his life. Born in the North London suburbs, his parents, Harold and Connie, both teachers, first met as teenage Communists in the 1930s Jewish East End. The family home was filled with stories of relatives in London, the United States and France and of those who had disappeared in Europe. Unlike the children around them, Rosen and his brother Brian grew up dreaming of a socialist revolution. Party meetings were held in the front room, summers were for communist camping holidays, till it all changed after a trip to East Germany, when in 1957 his parents decided to leave the Party. Michael followed his own journey of radical self-discovery: running away to march against the bomb at Aldermaston, writing and performing in experimental political theatre and getting arrested during the 1968 movements. An audio version of this book, read by the author, is available at: https://www.audible.co.uk
A collection of political tales--first published in British workers' magazines--selected and introduced by acclaimed critic and author Michael Rosen In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, unique tales inspired by traditional literary forms appeared frequently in socialist-leaning British periodicals, such as the Clarion, Labour Leader, and Social Democrat. Based on familiar genres--the fairy tale, fable, allegory, parable, and moral tale--and penned by a range of lesser-known and celebrated authors, including Schalom Asch, Charles Allen Clarke, Frederick James Gould, and William Morris, these stories were meant to entertain readers of all ages--and some challenged the conventional values promoted in children's literature for the middle class. In Workers' Tales, acclaimed critic and author Michael Rosen brings together more than forty of the best and most enduring examples of these stories in one beautiful volume. Throughout, the tales in this collection exemplify themes and ideas related to work and the class system, sometimes in wish-fulfilling ways. In Tom Hickathrift, a little, poor person gets the better of a gigantic, wealthy one. In The Man Without a Heart, a man learns about the value of basic labor after testing out more privileged lives. And in The Political Economist and the Flowers, two contrasting gardeners highlight the cold heart of Darwinian competition. Rosen's informative introduction describes how such tales advocated for contemporary progressive causes and countered the dominant celebration of Britain's imperial values. The book includes archival illustrations, biographical notes about the writers, and details about the periodicals where the tales first appeared. Provocative and enlightening, Workers' Tales presents voices of resistance that are more relevant than ever before.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2018 | | Uncle Gobb is back for a third utterly ridiculous, absolutely hilarious and totally originally told adventure. Michael Rosen and Neal Layton use a brilliant integration of words and pictures to tell this meandering and many-layered story which engages readers with the complexity and creativity of storytelling.
Shortlisted for the CLPE Children’s Poetry Award (CLiPPA) 2017 A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month September 2018 | | Michael Rosen is the bestselling author of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, along with many other picture books and collections of poetry. Packed with silly rhymes, witty wordplay and thought-provoking story poems, this new collection of poems will delight children of all ages.
Double the trouble! An original novel by Michael Rosen, told alongside the Dickens classic that inspired it: Oliver Twist. Shona and her dad are moving house, and at Shona's new school, the rules are pretty confusing; she keeps getting into trouble without realizing! It's a lot like how it is for Oliver Twist, that boy she's reading about in English class.After Shona is unexpectedly given a mobile phone, she begins to suspect there's something fishy about the new boys she's met. Where did the phone come from? And some gifts, she soon learns, aren't exactly free... Read two stories at once - both illustrated by Tony Ross.
Featuring a selection of rhymes for the very young adapted from Michael Rosen and Chris Riddell’s award-winning A Great Big Cuddle, Wiggly Wiggly is a tour de force of catchy rhythms and bouncy beats, cheerful pictures and cheeky characters. Each of the nine rhymes are made to be read aloud, made to encourage the very littlest to join in with the sounds, the words, the actions (wriggling, bouncing, sloshing, finger walking). The verses will hold their appeal no matter how many times you have to read them (hundreds), while the draughtsmanship and vitality of Chris Riddell’s illustrations takes the breath away with each turn of the page. They’re never too young for poetry and this is an absolute nursery must-have.
Dignity plays a central role in current thinking about law and human rights, but there is sharp disagreement about its meaning. Combining conceptual precision with a broad historical background, Michael Rosen puts these controversies in context and offers a novel, constructive proposal. Penetrating and sprightly...Rosen rightly emphasizes the centrality of Catholicism in the modern history of human dignity. His command of the history is impressive...Rosen is a wonderful guide to the recent German constitutional thinking about human dignity...[Rosen] is in general an urbane and witty companion, achieving his aim of accessibly written philosophy. --Samuel Moyn, The Nation [An] elegant, interesting and lucid exploration of the concept of dignity...Drawing on classical, liberal and Catholic traditions, Rosen hopes to rehabilitate dignity to its rightful place near the centre of moral thought...Rosen's admirable book deserves wide attention from political theorists, jurisprudes and political philosophers. --Simon Blackburn, Times Higher Education Dignity deserves to be widely read, not only for its intrinsic interest, but also as a corrective to the habit of discussing such topics in abstraction from their social context. Whether or not one agrees with Rosen's arguments, there can be no doubt he has widened our horizons. --Rae Langton, Times Literary Supplement
'A WORK OF GENIUS' - Chris Evans Jokes, a jack-in-the-box, jelly and jumping beans make children laugh. As do practical jokes, peekaboo, pantomine and poetry that makes no sense. Why and how does this work? And why does it matter? Writer and Professor of Children's Literature Michael Rosen, whose books - from We're Going on a Bear Hunt to Chocolate Cake - have made millions of children rock with laughter, gives us the tools for this greatest of gifts.
When I was a boy, I had a favourite treat. It was when my mum made . . . CHOCOLATE CAKE! Ohhh! I LOVED chocolate cake. Brought to life as a picture book for the first time with brilliant and characterful illustrations by Kevin Waldron.
Every day we make decisions that are underpinned by our ideas of what is right and wrong. But where do these ideas come from? Where do our values come from and who decides which values are used in a society? This book looks at topics that are strongly connected to the values people hold and their ideas of right and wrong, such as democracy, justice, fairness, prejudice and discrimination, education, climate change and war. There are contributions from Laura Bates, Richard Rieser, Tulip Siddiq and Alex Wheatle, who, along with the authors, discuss how their ideas of what is right and wrong have been shaped by their life experiences. Readers are encouraged to think for themselves about the issues discussed and decide which values are important to them.
In a nutshell: Really? An Uncle Gobb story in a nutshell? You’re having a laugh | Malcolm, his best friend Crackersnacker and Malcolm’s awful homework-obsessed, bean counting (unless it’s literal bean counting – see page 1) Uncle Gobb of Gobb Education are back for another helping of riotous adventure that sends all three on a trip to the United States. Packed with humour and word play that delights in turning logic, literalism and much of the story line on its head this will have readers in hysterics. Neal Layton’s smudgy energetic illustrations match the zany anarchy of Michael Rosen’s story brilliantly. ~ Andrea Reece
Pronounced guilty of libel and sentenced to a year in prison, novelist Emile Zola went on the run. Zola's crime had been to defend a wrongly convicted man, in what became known as the Dreyfus Affair. Fleeing the French state with just hours to spare he ended up living in the suburbs of south London unable to speak a word of English. Michael Rosen brings to life the sleepy world of late Victorian suburbia, Zola's turbulent politics and his tangled private life. Desperate to write a novel, he was also trying to balance the extremely delicate matter of the two women in his life - one the mother of his children, the other his wife. The Disappearance of Emile Zola is the incredible true story of a writer's personal bravery in the face of the greatest political scandal of the age.
Discover the weird and wonderful world of martians, woolly saucepans and centrally heated knickers in 100 poems about science and technology from the delightfully irreverent, Michael Rosen.
This Christmas, join Michael Rosen and Tony Ross with their unforgettable retelling of Charles Dickens' beloved classic. In a school theatrical production of A Christmas Carol , the boy who plays Scrooge is extra nervous because his very busy father is in the audience. However, it's likely his father won't stay for the duration, due to business. As always. Will the classic story's message of Christmas cheer and family love reach his father's distracted heart?
Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017 | Joint Winner of the CLiPPA 2016 (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award). Children’s Laureates Chris Riddell and Michael Rosen combine here to create a beautiful collection of ebullient poems for the very young. Michael Rosen’s close and affectionate observation of small children and the way they think is brilliantly captured in poems such as You Can’t See Me and Let Me Do It. There are also plenty of opportunities for the very young to join in with poems such as Tippy-Tappy and The Button Bop which they are guaranteed to want to hear again and again! Chris Riddell’s illustrations created an equally warm-hearted view of the early years and capture the spirit of the poems perfectly. ~ Julia Eccleshare
This classic picture book is such a triumph of words and illustration, as satisfying to look at as it is to read aloud, that it hardly needs an extra gimmick, but snow globes are irresistible and there’s something particularly pleasing about shaking the snowflakes around in this special gift edition, especially when reading about the swirling, whirling snowstorm, “Hoooo woooo! “Hoooo woooo!” It will be fun to share this with children and it’s a book that everyone should own. ~ Andrea Reece *** Last Christmas Channel 4 showed an animated TV adaptation of We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Find out more here! Michael Rosen said: “I am absolutely delighted that Channel 4 has commissioned this animation. Lupus have a great record in this field and I am very excited to be part of the project. Helen Oxenbury's wonderful art work provides a powerful family saga, full of imagined or real trials and these pictures will give a basis for a moving Christmas drama.” Helen Oxenbury said: "I'm so looking forward to seeing the book brought to life in this way. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring We're Going on a Bear Hunt to even more children and I'm thrilled to be part of it." Jay Hunt, Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer, said: “Going on a Bear Hunt is a magical book that will be brought alive for a whole new audience by Lupus Films. I can’t wait.”
In this humorous and moving memoir, Michael Rosen recalls the first twenty-three years of his life. Born in the North London suburbs, his parents, Harold and Connie, both teachers, first met as teenage Communists in the 1930s Jewish East End. The family home was filled with stories of relatives in London, the United States and France and of those who had disappeared in Europe. Unlike the children around them, Rosen and his brother Brian grew up dreaming of a socialist revolution; Party meetings were held in the front room, summers were for communist camping holidays, till it all changed after a trip to East Germany, when in 1957 his parents decided to leave the Party. Michael followed his own journey of radical self-discovery: running away to the Aldermaston March to ban the bomb, writing and performing in experimental political theatre, getting arrested during the 1968 movements.
When I was a boy, I had a favourite treat. It was when my mum made . . . CHOCOLATE CAKE! Ohhh! I LOVED chocolate cake. Fantastically funny and full of silly noises, this is Michael Rosen's love letter to every child's favourite treat, chocolate cake. Brought to life as a picture book for the first time with brilliant and characterful illustrations by Kevin Waldron.
Once there was a very fierce cat. Not just fierce: totally, terrifyingly, stupendously fierce. Everyone was afraid of this cat. Her name was Dread and everyone dreaded Dread Cat. But then Dread Cat started to run out of luck catching mice. She hadn't caught any for ages. So she announced that she was giving up chasing mice and promised to never again hunt another mouse. The war was over. But was it really? High quality cream paper and a special easy to read font ensure a smooth read for all.
In a nutshell: Really? An Uncle Gobb story in a nutshell? You’re having a laugh | Malcolm, his best friend Crackersnacker and Malcolm’s awful homework-obsessed, bean counting (unless it’s literal bean counting – see page 1) Uncle Gobb of Gobb Education are back for another helping of riotous adventure that sends all three on a trip to the United States. Packed with humour and word play that delights in turning logic, literalism and much of the story line on its head this will have readers in hysterics. Neal Layton’s smudgy energetic illustrations match the zany anarchy of Michael Rosen’s story brilliantly. ~ Andrea Reece
With her cheery, distinctive voice and passion for bagels, little dog Shnipp is a very jolly character and certain to be a real favourite with young readers. Running away one day on impulse she’s taken in by Bessie the Bagel Lady; then, when the foxes tell her just how much she’s missed by her owners, she decides just as impulsively to run back home. The story bowls along as merrily as Shnipp at full stretch, full of humour and sprinkled with black and white illustrations by Tony Ross. Great fun for solo reading and for sharing at bedtime too. ~ Andrea Reece
It is the evening of 18 July 1898 and the world-renowned novelist Emile Zola is on the run. His crime? Taking on the highest powers in the land with his open letter 'J'accuse' and losing. Forced to leave Paris, with nothing but the clothes he is standing in and a nightshirt wrapped in newspaper, Zola flees to England with no idea when he will return. This is the little-known story of his time in exile. Rosen has traced Zola's footsteps from the Gare du Nord to London, examining the significance of this year. The Disappearance of Zola offers an intriguing insight into the mind, the loves, the politics and the work of the great writer.
It is the evening of 18 July 1898 and the world-renowned novelist Emile Zola is on the run. His crime? Taking on the highest powers in the land with his open letter 'J'accuse' and losing. Forced to leave Paris, with nothing but the clothes he is standing in and a nightshirt wrapped in newspaper, Zola flees to England with no idea when he will return.This is the little-known story of his time in exile. Rosen has traced Zola's footsteps from the Gare du Nord to London, examining the significance of this year. The Disappearance of Zola offers an intriguing insight into the mind, the loves, the politics and the work of the great writer.
A detailed and very personal guide to reading and writing poetry by one of the country's leading children's poets. Lovereading Review will follow...
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA GET OFF, GET OFF, GET OFF! Well what would you say if your brother kept whacking you with a spoon, or the spider made it all the way up the toilet bowl or your mum made you wear that horrible shirt? Find out in this fantastically funny collection of poems all about growing up from the brilliant Michael Rosen, Children's Laureate 2007 - 2009.
What does it mean for people to have to leave their homes, and what happens when they seek entry to another country? This book explores the history of refugees and migration around the world and the effects on people of never-ending war and conflict. It compares the effects on society of diversity and interculturalism with historical attempts to create a racially 'pure' culture. It takes an international perspective, and offers a range of views from people who have personal experience of migration, including the campaigners Meltem Avcil and Muzoon Almellehan, the comedian and actor Omid Djalili and the poet Benjamin Zephaniah. Aimed at young people aged 10 and upwards, the book encourages readers to think for themselves about the issues involved. There is also a role-play activity asking readers to imagine themselves in the situation of having to decide whether to leave their homes and seek refuge in a new country. Part of the groundbreaking and important 'And Other Big Questions' series, which offers balanced and considered views on the big issues we face in the world we live in today. Other titles in the series include: What is Humanism? How do you live without a god? What is Feminism? Why do we need It?
Shortlisted for the CLPE Children’s Poetry Award (CLiPPA) 2017 Packed with silly rhymes, witty wordplay and thought-provoking story poems, this new collection of poems will delight children of all ages.
We're gangin on a bear hunt. We're gaun tae catch a braw yin. Whit a bonnie day! We're no feart. Get ready for a big adventure, as a family of brave bear hunters trudges through muckle forests and skirlin snawstorms, claggie mud and a deep cauld river in search of a glowerin bear. Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury's classic We're Going on a Bear Hunt is charmingly recreated in Scots for little adventurers. The original words and illustrations are transformed by language expert Susan Rennie into lively Scots for a bright and bonnie take on this favourite tale. Perfect for reading aloud with young children.
Join in the bear hunt with this fabulous activity book, based on the classic picture book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Little ones will be absorbed for hours with this fun book filled with engaging activities. *** This Christmas Channel 4 will show an animated TV adaptation of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, to be broadcast on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Michael Rosen says: “I am absolutely delighted that Channel 4 has commissioned this animation. Lupus have a great record in this field and I am very excited to be part of the project. Helen Oxenbury's wonderful art work provides a powerful family saga, full of imagined or real trials and these pictures will give a basis for a moving Christmas drama.” Helen Oxenbury says: "I'm so looking forward to seeing the book brought to life in this way. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring We're Going on a Bear Hunt to even more children and I'm thrilled to be part of it." Jay Hunt, Channel 4 Chief Creative Officer, says: “Going on a Bear Hunt is a magical book that will be brought alive for a whole new audience by Lupus Films. I can’t wait.”
Malcom’s Uncle Gobb is really irritating, and not just because he keeps shouting ‘the boy needs to do more homework’. When Gobb Education starts taking over their school, and Uncle Gobb sets up the dread ‘Dread Shed’ in their playground, Malcolm and his best friend Crackersnacker decide they’ve got to get rid him. Children will love seeing Malcolm bamboozle and confuzle Uncle Gobb to a standstill with entirely logical but unanswerable questions and Neal Layton’s scratchy illustrations brilliantly match the riotous tone. Great fun for children, who will recognise the absurdities Malcolm faces daily, less enjoyable reading perhaps for any secretaries of state for education. ~ Andrea Reece One of our Books of the Year 2015 Click here to download an activity pack for Uncle Gobb and the Dread Shed.
Unfold all the fun of the bear hunt in this delightful pocket-sized pop-up of the award-winning picture book classic. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? For a quarter of a century, readers have been swishy-swashying and splash-sploshing through this award-winning favourite. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest!
What does it mean to be a humanist? Is humanism a new idea? How do people live their lives without religious beliefs? The first of its kind aimed at the new curriculum for upper primary and lower secondary school children, this book examines how humanists respond to fundamental questions about morals and ethics, the origins of life, religion and the state. It looks at how humanists mark the milestones of birth, marriage and death. How do people without belief in God live moral and fulfilled lives, with respect for humankind and the universe? This thought-provoking approach encourages readers to think about the big questions for themselves. The book includes contributions from a number of prominent humanists, such as Stephen Fry, Camila Batmanghelidjh, Philip Pullman, Jim Al-Khalili, Natalie Haynes and Shappi Khorsandi, who explain their own philosophy and tell us what is important to them. Part of the groundbreaking and important 'And Other Big Questions' series, which offers balanced and considered views on the big issues we face in the world we live in today. Other titles in the series include: What is Feminism? Why do we need It? Who are Refugees and Migrants? What Makes People Leave their Homes?
Bilal is terrified of The Test. He can't answer any of the questions! But then Bumble the bee comes along, and he can answer any question you ask, even the really tricky ones. Then Bilal's granny suggests they go on the wildly popular TV quiz show, What's What? Win the Lot! But what will happen if Bilal and Bumble do win the lot...? A wonderfully bonkers and laugh-out loud funny story from dream team Rosen and Ross.
So what was it like to live in Shakespeare's time? What do we actually know about him? And how does someone become that famous? These are just a few of the questions addressed in this lively and accessible book on the life and works of William Shakespeare by award-winning author, Michael Rosen. It includes studies of four of Shakespeare's plays, facts and information about Shakespeare and the world at this time.
A winsome, user-friendly introduction to all things Dickens from former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen, with lively interior illustrations by Sarah Nayler. Dickens brought life to some of our favourite characters: his rogues' gallery includes the Artful Dodger and his avaricious boss, Fagin, the miserly Mr Scrooge, and the spiteful Miss Havisham. During Dickens's lifetime, his novels sold in their thousands, and his touring one-man show was an international hit. Now, 145 years after his death, Dickens's fame has only grown - his books are read all over the world, and have been adapted for both stage and screen. So what is it about Dickens's writing that keeps his readers coming back for more? Join Michael Rosen on a whistle-stop tour of Dickensian London. Featuring a richly detailed summary of Dickens's childhood and career, a witty recap of his best-known novels, and lively black-and-white illustrations from Sarah Nayler, this book is the perfect introduction to the work and world of Charles Dickens.
A winsome, user-friendly introduction to all things Dickens from former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen, with lively interior illustrations by Sarah Nayler.Dickens brought life to some of our favourite characters: his rogues' gallery includes the Artful Dodger and his avaricious boss, Fagin, the miserly Mr Scrooge, and the spiteful Miss Havisham. During Dickens's lifetime, his novels sold in their thousands, and his touring one-man show was an international hit. Now, 145 years after his death, Dickens's fame has only grown - his books are read all over the world, and have been adapted for both stage and screen. So what is it about Dickens's writing that keeps his readers coming back for more? Join Michael Rosen on a whistle-stop tour of Dickensian London. Featuring a richly detailed summary of Dickens's childhood and career, a witty recap of his best-known novels, and lively black-and-white illustrations from Sarah Nayler, this book is the perfect introduction to the work and world of Charles Dickens.
An engaging, easy-to-use and informative biography of Shakespeare with humorous illustrations.So what was it like to live in Shakespeare's time? What do we actually know about him? And how does someone become that famous? These are just a few of the questions addressed in this lively and accessible book on the life and works of William Shakespeare by award-winning author Michael Rosen. Ideal for browsing, the text is divided into clear sections and includes studies of four of Shakespeare's plays, intriguing facts and information about Shakespeare himself and the world at this time, accompanied by a useful timeline.
Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen will delight all readers with this hugely enjoyable and easy to chant rhyming picture book. Riding a bike, going far in a car or, when it starts to rain going in the train are all fun. So too are the more imaginative thoughts of riding on a fish, sitting on a cloud or flying to the moon in a hot-air balloon. But, best of all is the bus! Just because - ‘the bus is for us!’ ~ Julia Eccleshare
You’re never too young for the brilliance of a book such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Walker Books have taken Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury’s classic picture book and condensed it into a chunky board book. The illustrations sparkle in miniature and there are lots of opportunities for joining in – splish splash through the river, squelch squerch through the oozy mud, hoo woo through the whirling snowstorm. A handy strap and clip enable you to attach this sturdy little book to a buggy or carrier and take it out on bear hunts of your own! ~ Andrea Reece You might also like We're Going on a Bear Hunt Colouring Book and We're Going on a Bear Hunt Sticker Activitiy Book!
The award-winning classic brought to life as a pop-up adventure. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? For a quarter of a century, readers have been swishy-swashying and splash-sploshing through this award-winning favourite and now it can be read in three glorious dimensions in this incredible pop-up edition featuring seven full-page pop-ups. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest! The award-winning classic brought to life as a pop-up adventure.
The yucky things your brother does, the annoying things your parents say, the funny things you feel. Michael Rosen knows all about YOU! Family life from the brilliant Michael Rosen & Quentin Blake.
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child It’s hard to know who will laugh more at this new picture book, children or their parents! Any adult who has undergone a long car journey with kids will be familiar with the phrase ‘I can’t drive properly if you two are going mad in the back’! Michael Rosen and Richard Watson describe just such a journey, and make it really funny. Mum’s frustration and irritation grows as the two in the back bicker, fight and make endless demands for drinks, until she eventually explodes! Sounds familiar? The pictures are hilarious and it’s brilliant for reading out loud too. Read and enjoy in the comfort of your home, not on the road. ~ Andrea Reece Publisher Barrington Stoke was inspired to create the Picture Squirrel Books titles after meeting a man with dyslexia at a book event. “We were approached by a gentleman who told us that it broke his heart that he couldn’t read to his child because of his dyslexia,” M.D. Mairi Kidd told The Bookseller. “So we talked to Michael Morpurgo, who we were already working with on low text books [textbooks that use a limited number of words]." The layout of picture books can be difficult for adults with dyslexia as the language and typeface are often very varied, the text can be cut into small chunks or is sometimes spun around a picture, which can make a book tricky if you don’t have good reading skills. Barrington Stoke worked with the authors and illustrators to ensure that the books are suitable for dyslexic readers and thereby helping more families grow a love of reading. On the Picture Squirrels...Michael Morpurgo says: “I was immediately taken with the idea of the Picture Squirrel books, a picture book list that dyslexic parents and less confident readers can read with theirchildren too.”
Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017 | Joint Winner of the CLiPPA 2016 (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award). Children’s Laureates Chris Riddell and Michael Rosen combine here to create a beautiful collection of ebullient poems for the very young. Michael Rosen’s close and affectionate observation of small children and the way they think is brilliantly captured in poems such as You Can’t See Me and Let Me Do It. There are also plenty of opportunities for the very young to join in with poems such as Tippy-Tappy and The Button Bop which they are guaranteed to want to hear again and again! Chris Riddell’s illustrations created an equally warm-hearted view of the early years and capture the spirit of the poems perfectly. ~ Julia Eccleshare One of our Books of the Year 2015 - A Reader Review Panel Pick of the Year 2015 - chosen by Robyn Chorely, aged 5- Julia Eccleshare's Book of the Month, September 2015
We live in a world surrounded by all the stuff that education is supposed to be about: machines, bodies, languages, cities, votes, mountains, energy, movement, plays, food, liquids, collisions, protests, stones, windows. But the way we've been taught often excludes all sorts of practical ways of finding out about ideas, knowledge and culture - anything from cooking to fixing loo cisterns, from dance to model making, from collecting leaves to playing 'Who am I?'. The great thing is that you really can use everything around you to learn more. Learning should be much more fun and former children's laureate, million-selling author, broadcaster, father of five and all-round national treasure, Michael Rosen wants to show you how. Forget lists, passing tests and ticking boxes, the world outside the classroom can't be contained within the limits of any kind of curriculum - and it's all the better for it. Long car journeys, poems about farting, cake baking, even shouting at the TV can teach lessons that will last a lifetime. Packed with enough practical tips, stories and games to inspire a legion of anxious parents and bored children, Good Ideas shows that the best kind of education really does start at home.
This is the 25th anniversary board book edition of this bestselling title which well-deserves its classic status. It has become the staple of pre-school life across the globe. Told in a simple rhythmic text that's full of action and it is matched by Helen Oxenbury’s wonderful illustrations which perfectly capture the fun and the wide range of emotions of the family day out that the story encompasses. There is a new website celebrating 25 years Bear Hunting - visit www.jointhebearhunt.com for everything a bear hunter could need including activities, videos, competitions and tour dates. The book has sold in nearly 30 countries and in over 20 languages.
Colour in the bear hunt with this wonderful colouring activity book, based on the classic picture book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Helen Oxenbury's beautiful illustrations are as enchanting here as in the beloved original, and Michael Rosen's brilliantly rhythmic words provide the inspiration for every exciting activity. You might also like We're Going on a Bear Hunt Sticker Activitiy Book!
Join in the bear hunt with this fabulous sticker activity book, based on the classic picture book by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Little ones will be absorbed for hours with this sticker book filled with engaging activities. You might also like We're Going on a Bear Hunt Colouring Book!
May 2015 Book of the Month This tale of the busy Hurrys may well strike a chord with families everywhere. Mr and Mrs Hurry are always rushing, but especially in the mornings. One day they dash off to their respective jobs in such a hurry that neither notices they’ve left their son Harry at home. What will he do? He’s too small to go to school on his own, and too small to stay at home on his own either. Fortunately, Tiggs the cat realises what’s happened. Family life is exaggerated to great comic effect, and children will love the idea of Tiggs taking control. A funny, satisfying story for emerging readers. ~ Andrea Reece
More mayhem from the four-legged narrator! When his pet human, Rover, goes to school, our canine hero thinks she is trapped against her will. He goes to the rescue, and when he sees her surrounded by monster masks, leaps to the wrong conclusion and to her rescue, with the usual chaotic consequences! A brilliant follow-up to bestselling Rover and Howler. Rover: 'Layton's wildly exuberant illustrations provide the perfect accompaniment to the four legged narrator's refreshing brand of humour' - Guardian Howler: 'A delight' Independent on Sunday
Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen will delight all readers with this hugely enjoyable and easy to chant rhyming picture book. Riding a bike, going far in a car or, when it starts to rain going in the train are all fun. So too are the more imaginative thoughts of riding on a fish, sitting on a cloud or flying to the moon in a hot-air balloon. But, best of all is the bus! Just because - ‘the bus is for us!’ ~ Julia Eccleshare
The welcome return of one of Michael Rosen's favourite books! Till Owlyglass (Till Eulenspiegel) is a boy who was special from the day he was baptised three times. But not in a good way. Not in a way his parents liked. He was always in trouble for his rudeness and practical jokes, and grew up to be the most outrageous trickster in Germany. Everyone told stories about him ... and they still do five centuries later. In this wickedly funny book, Michael Rosen retells the best of these traditional German tales, with pictures by Fritz Wegner which are perfectly in the spirit of the prankster's wild tricks.
We live in a world surrounded by all the stuff that education is supposed to be about: machines, bodies, languages, cities, votes, mountains, energy, movement, plays, food, liquids, collisions, protests, stones, windows. But the way we've been taught often excludes all sorts of practical ways of finding out about ideas, knowledge and culture - anything from cooking to fixing loo cisterns, from dance to model making, from collecting leaves to playing 'Who am I?'. The great thing is that you really can use everything around you to learn more. Learning should be much more fun and former children's laureate, million-selling author, broadcaster, father of five and all-round national treasure, Michael Rosen wants to show you how. Forget lists, passing tests and ticking boxes, the world outside the classroom can't be contained within the limits of any kind of curriculum - and it's all the better for it. Long car journeys, poems about farting, cake baking, even shouting at the TV can teach lessons that will last a lifetime. Packed with enough practical tips, stories and games to inspire a legion of anxious parents and bored children, Good Ideas shows that the best kind of education really does start at home.
One of our Books of the Year 2014 Fantastic, cumulative adventure as a family cheerfully sets out on a brave hunt to find the bear - and this new edition has interactive sound! It could be frightening but they’re not scared. They’re full of confidence in what they are doing. Caves, mud, rivers, forest … whatever obstacles the family encounters, they resolutely overcome them happily repeating the chorus:“We can’t go over it”, “We can’t go under it”, “Oh no! We’ve got to go through it”.But when they find the bear its’ a lot more scary than they had thought and they hurtle home repeating all the noises as they go. ~ Julia Eccleshare There is a new website celebrating 25 years Bear Hunting - visit www.jointhebearhunt.com for everything a bear hunter could need including activities, videos, competitions and tour dates. The book has sold in nearly 30 countries and in over 20 languages.
A bedtime read turns into a very funny superhero adventure in this exciting blend of picture book and comic book storytelling. It's time for bed and Dad is reading Emily and little Elmer a story... Danger! Filth and Vacuum, The Terrible Two, are trying to destroy the world! Who will save the day? Steel Man isn't strong enough; Flying-Through-the-Air-Very-Fast-Man isn't fast enough and Incredibly-Big-Strong-Green-Man isn't big, strong and green enough. Who can help? Clever young Brad 40 has a brilliant idea: he calls on a most unlikely superhero: Incredibly Boring Man, who sends the villains - and everyone else - to sleep! Filth and Vacuum are captured by the army, Brad is a hero, and Dad thinks Emily and Elmer have fallen asleep too. But he's wrong...
A Dyslexia Friendly Picture Book for Parent and Child Best-selling Michael Rosen teams up with the brilliant illustrator Chris Mould in this scary story with a witty twist. Wolf Man is on the loose. He is ripping up paving stones and biting huge chunks out of trees. He is terrorising everyone – even the chief of police. Wolf Man goes right up to the Police Chief’s front door. What will happen when he opens it? Publisher Barrington Stoke was inspired to create the Picture Squirrel Books titles after meeting a man with dyslexia at a book event. “We were approached by a gentleman who told us that it broke his heart that he couldn’t read to his child because of his dyslexia,” M.D. Mairi Kidd told The Bookseller. “So we talked to Michael Morpurgo, who we were already working with on low text books [textbooks that use a limited number of words]." The layout of picture books can be difficult for adults with dyslexia as the language and typeface are often very varied, the text can be cut into small chunks or is sometimes spun around a picture, which can make a book tricky if you don’t have good reading skills. Barrington Stoke worked with the authors and illustrators to ensure that the books are suitable for dyslexic readers and thereby helping more families grow a love of reading. On the Picture Squirrels...Michael Morpurgo says: “I was immediately taken with the idea of the Picture Squirrel books, a picture book list that dyslexic parents and less confident readers can read with theirchildren too.”
Humans can be so confusing, especially when you're a dog. I live with a family of humans, you see. A big man-human, a big lady-human and a little girl-human. Well, one day the lady-human's tummy started getting bigger and bigger. Then - and you won't believe this - suddenly her tummy got smaller, but there was another human living with us! And the big humans won't let me anywhere near it! Honestly, I don't know what all the fuss is about . . . `Fresh and entertaining, and ultimately enlightening' Scottish Sunday Herald
From minding your Ps and Qs to wondering why X should mark the spot, Alphabetical is a book for everyone who loves words and language. Whether it's how letters are arranged on keyboards or Viking runes, textspeak or zip codes, this book will change the way you think about letters for ever. How on Earth did we fix upon our twenty-six letters, what do they really mean, and how did we come to write them down in the first place? Michael Rosen takes you on an unforgettable adventure through the history of the alphabet in twenty-six vivid chapters, fizzing with personal anecdotes and fascinating facts. Starting with the mysterious Phoenicians and how sounds first came to be written down, he races on to show how nonsense poems work, pins down the strange story of OK, traces our seven lost letters and tackles the tyranny of spelling, among many, many other things. His heroes of the alphabet range from Edward Lear to Phyllis Pearsall (the inventor of the A-Z), and from the two scribes of Beowulf to rappers. Each chapter takes on a different subject - codes, umlauts or the writing of dictionaries. Rosen's enthusiasm for letters positively leaps off the page, whether it's the story of his life told through the typewriters he's owned or a chapter on jokes written in a string of gags and word games. So if you ever wondered why Hawaiian only has a thirteen-letter alphabet or how exactly to write down the sound of a wild raspberry, read on . . .
A hugely entertaining story about one dog and his owner. When Rover, that's the little girl with red hair, NOT her canine friend, gets lost on the beach there's only one thing for it! Dog to the rescue! Seen from a dog's perspective Michael Rosen, author of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, delivers a brilliantly hilarious take on family life.
January 2014 Book of the Month Best-selling Michael Rosen captures the dilemma of any dog choosing a new home – and any home finding a new dog! Terri-Lee goes to the pet shop to choose a dog. But, Crumble isn’t any ordinary dog. It doesn’t take him long to make it clear that it is he has very specific expectations of his new owner. Will Terri-Lee come up to scratch in this funny and also thought proving about dogs and their owners?
A stunning, bold and funny picture book from Michael Rosen and rising star illustrator Kevin Waldron, in the Irish language for very first time! When Tiny Little Fly sees great big toes (and lands on a great big nose), the poor elephant tries - tramp, crush, tramp - but can't catch it. Off flies the fly! The teasing insect easily misses the rhino's roll, squash, roll and the tiger's swat, swoop, snatch too but ... these very BIG animals are getting VERY annoyed! How will Tiny Little Fly's adventure end? Will he get away and fly fly fly? From Michael Rosen and Kevin Waldron, translated by Gabriel Rosenstock, comes this wonderful read-aloud story for the very young that chalks one up for the little guy.
Bob is a bear with a difference! He tries to everything he’s been taught before he goes out to be with a family but although he shows them his exercises, tries to be cuddly and does some reading, nothing seem to attract their attention. The he does something really special…How Bob bursts into pieces and entertains his new family will delight all the readers of the story too!
Following the publication of bestselling Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy, Michael Rosen has followed up with a brilliant new book of poems that are funny, thought-provoking and always with Michael's immediately accessible and child-centred voice. The poems included are a mix of classic favourites and also many brand new poems. The cheeky, full-colour illustrations by much loved Babette Cole make the perfect partnership.
Piece together the fun of the bear hunt in this delightful jigsaw version of the classic picture book. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? For more than twenty years, readers have been swishy swashing and splash sploshing through this award-winning favourite. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest! Now you can join in the fun with this interactive jigsaw book.
Perfect for every child who’s just beginning to read alone, this hilarious tale is a roller coaster ride of fame and fortune and the possible resulting disasters. Elvie longs for a dog but gets a goldfish instead! Undeterred from following her ambition to own a famous performing pet, she trains her goldfish in the unusual art of… farting. Soon Fluff the fish is a celebrity. What on earth can go wrong???
Just how did Roald Dahl get into writing? Where did he get his ideas from? What ingredients in his life turned him into the kind of writer he was? Michael Rosen - poet, broadcaster and former Children's Laureate, comes up with some of the answers to these key questions in his lively biography of the world's Number1 storyteller. Full of stories and funny anecdotes from Roald Dahl's school days and family life, Michael Rosen's fascinating observations creates a vivid picture of one of the most famous writers of all time.
A dramatic version of a favourite picture book in which children join in taking different parts of the reading. Offering a very different storytelling experience, this Walker All Join In Story Play is a dramatic version of a favourite picture book written for four voices. Each part is clearly marked by different colour bands so children can join in. Perfect for reading aloud, this innovative and beautifully designed book offers a simple, clever and utterly enjoyable way of sharing stories and learning to read. The Walker All Join In Story Plays are written in strongly patterned language by Vivian French to cater for readers with different levels of experience. There are brief teaching notes at the back which give parents and teachers helpful advice on sharing the books with children.
On an ordinary morning, in an ordinary flat, an up-till-now perfectly ordinary Bertha does an extraordinary burp. A burp so extraordinary, it knocks things over. A burp so humongously big that very soon it's causing havoc in the school canteen, the playground, not to mention her grandad's apple trees... Such a burptastic secret cannot stay quiet for long. And soon enough it lands Bertha her very own celebrity stardom...but is it all just a lot of hot air?
A comic collection of verse from the illustrious pairing of two former Children's Laureates. From the chaos of breakfast and to the calm of bedtime, this quirky collection of nonsense poetry written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Quentin Blake is full of delightful moments. Read of the pleasures of messing about and the pains of feeling ill, of animal antics down at the doctor's and strange goings-on on the beach... All this and a trip on a flying bed too.
A Lovereading4kids 'Great Read' you may have missed 2011 selection. Best-selling author of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen has a gift for playful humour for the very young. How Small, in this case a fly, can outsmart Big – an elephant, hippo and a great big tiger - is delightfully played out allowing the child reader to follow and wonder before being delighted by the surprise! Bold illustrations capture the drama perfectly.
A heartbreakingly honest account of a father's grief for his son from the illustrious pairing of two former Children's Laureates. Very occasionally the term non-fiction has to stretch itself to accommodate a book that fits into no category at all. Michael Rosen's Sad Book is such a book. It chronicles Michael's grief at the death of his son Eddie from meningitis at the age of 19. A moving combination of sincerity and simplicity, it acknowledges that sadness is not always avoidable or reasonable and perfects the art of making complicated feelings plain. It wasn't made like any other book either; Michael Rosen said of the text, I wrote it at a moment of extreme feeling and it went straight down onto the page ... Quentin didn't illustrate it, he 'realized' it. He turned the text into a book and as a result showed me back to myself. No writer could ask and get more than that. And Quentin Blake says that the picture of Michael being sad but trying to look happy is the most difficult drawing he's ever done... a moving experience.
Age 7+. Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen brilliantly entertaining poems capture all kinds of moments of childhood – funny, sad, outrageous, tender, serious – many of which happened in his own childhood. Through them he charts some terrible things he did as a child – including breaking a toothbrush! – as well as some not so terrible but still highly entertaining. Great for reading aloud with your children.
It started with a baseball game, when Michael Rosen's seven-year-old son Ripton invited some older boys over to his family's penthouse for snacks and Nintendo after joining their pick-up game in Tomkins Square Park. These visits became more frequent, and soon these boys, all black and Hispanic neighbours living in public and subsidized housing, became part of the Rosen's family. Over time Michael and his wife Leslie became like parents to these boys, and like parents everywhere, decided to help them succeed. So began a remarkable relationship between the Rosen family and five of the boys in particular, beautifully and movingly chronicled in What Else But Home ,a love story unlike any other, of a family that opened its door and heart and learned that whatever our racial and economic differences, baseball conquers all.
A hilarious biker bunny tale by former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen, brought to life with an animated DVD! He's wild, he's wicked, he's Little Rabbit Foo Foo! In this read-aloud romp by the incomparable Michael Rosen, author of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, the bully-boy bunny likes nothing better than to ride through the forest bopping everyone on the head. Wriggly worms, tigers, no one is safe. But here comes the Good Fairy - and she is not amused! Offering a whole new storytelling experience this picture book and DVD edition features a charming story animation narrated by Kevin Whately, from Inspector Morse and Peak Practice.
What's it like to be a writer, radio presenter and performer? Read all about Michael Rosen's life and find out what he was like as a boy, what he got up to at school and how he became a famous poet in this fascinating autobiography. * Sapphire/Band 16 books books offer longer reads to develop children's sustained engagement with texts and are more complex syntactically. * Text type: An autobiography. * The timeline on pages 54-55 track the major events of Michael Rosen's life that led to him becoming a successful writer. * Additional information retrieval devices such as a glossary and index can be evaluated for their usefulness as children develop critical reading skills * Curriculum links: History: What we can learn about recent history from studying the life of a famous person. * This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.
From Agard to Zephaniah, the very best of children's poetry from the very best of children's poets appears in this wonderful and exciting anthology edited by Michael Rosen, the Children's Laureate. Coinciding with his laureateship and a very welcome public promotion of the need for children's poetry in our education system, this future classic for Puffin will delight readers young and old, and make the perfect gift.
Michael Rosens seven-year-old son Ripton one day decided to join a pick-up game of baseball with some older kids in the park. At the end of the game Ripton asked his new friends if they wanted to come back to his house for snacks and Nintendo. Over time, five of the boysall black and Hispanic, from the impoverished neighborhood across the parkbecame a fixture in the Rosens home and eventually started referring to Michael and his wife Leslie as their parents. The boys began to see the Rosens as more than just an arcade of middle-class creature comforts; the Rosens began to learn the full stories of the boys fractured lives.Soon Michael and Leslie decided that their responsibility, like that of parents everywhere, was to help all their boys get a start in life. So began a turbulent learning experience all round, beautifully and movingly depicted in What Else But Home. Its a quest to escape the previously inevitable, a test of the resilience of a newly assembled family, a love story unlike any other, and a celebration of the fact that, whatever our differences, baseball and commitment can help us bridge them.
We're going on a bear hunt! Through the long wavy grass, the thick oozy mud and the swirling, whirling snowstorm - will we find a bear today? Children will love joining in with the animated version of this adventurous tale from the acclaimed King Rollo Films - accompanied by specially composed music and narrated by Emilia Fox and Kevin Whately - and following all the action in the classic picture book, which won the Smarties Book Prize and was Highly Commended for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Please note, this DVD is Region 2 PAL.
Age 9+ This is an invaluable introduction to poets and poetry, with lively biographical sketches and fascinating notes written by Children’s Laureate, Michael Rosen, this is a classic collection to be read from cover to cover and back again or just dipped into from time.
Mother Goose has a good idea to stop Humpty Dumpty falling off the wall - and she helps lots of his friends too. Agony aunt Mother Goose helps Humpty Dumpty conquer his fear of falling and Little Miss Muffet deal with an over-friendly spider as well as helping a whole host of other much-loved characters in this charming lift-the-flap book. With its witty, jokey letters, it's a nursery rhyme book with a twist from an award-winning author and illustrator team.
In the best tradition of nonsense verse, here are poems, rhymes, wordplay and limericks to make everyone smile and laugh out loud. Children will delight in unravelling the meanings of the words and in creating their own nonsense verse.
From the brilliantly talented author of We’re going on a Bear Hunt, comes a wonderfully warm and funny story about a bear who lives by the sea but thinks life in the city will be more fun – until he actually goes there and gets lost. All comes good in the end when some children take him back home. The text and illustrations combine to make a wonderfully appealing story for young children everywhere. In addition, it comes complete with an audio CD that is read by the author. A perfect book for reading aloud with the sing-along text and the sleepy ending make it the perfect bedtime read.
A heartbreakingly honest account of a father's grief for his son from the illustrious pairing of a current and a former Children's Laureate. What makes Michael Rosen most sad is thinking about his son, Eddie, who died. In this jacketed hardback book he writes about his sadness, how it affects him and some of the things he does to try and cope with it. Whether or not you have known what it's like to feel really deeply sad, its truth will surely touch you.
A delightful CD and paperback picture book edition of a much-loved classic! We're going on a bear hunt! Through the long wavy grass, the thick oozy mud and the swirling, whirling snowstorm - will we find a bear today? A perfect bedtime adventure for all aspiring explorers. Includes a CD of the story read by Doctor Who actress Sophie Aldred to listen to with the paperback picture book.
If you only want one collection of poetry on your child’s bookshelf then it has to be this stunning 25th anniversary hardback collection by best-selling author Michael Rosen and illustrator Quentin Blake. Alone or together with your child you will be totally transported into the words and pictures and if the book wasn’t good enough it also comes with a CD of the poems read by the author. Poet Laureate Michael best-selling classic collections of poems, “You Can't Catch Me" and "You Can't Put Mustard in the Custard" were first published 25 years ago. Now reissued in a bumper collection, which also shows off Quentin Blake’s accompanying illustrations to excellent advantage, this is a perfect introduction to some of the best and most child centred poems of today. Michael Rosen reads his own poems on the accompanying CD, which is pure magic.
A gentle tale for pre-schoolers, introducing the concept of sharing in the playground from multi award winning author and poet Michael Rosen. From former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen comes a simple and poignant tale of the power of sharing, with superb artwork by award winning illustrator Bob Graham. George says the cardboard house is his and no one else can play in it. It isn't for girls, small people, twins, people with glasses, or people who like tunnels. But Lindy, Marly, Freddie, Charlene, Marlene, Luther, Sophie and Rasheda have other ideas! One by one each child is refused access until tables are turned and George finds how it feels to be on the receiving end. A topical and perceptive book that shows that it is much more fun to share.
Michael Rosen's Selected Poems is a wonderfully moving sequence of prose poems extracted from his acclaimed autobiographical triptych, Carrying the Elephant, This is Not My Nose and In the Colonie. In a series of artful, deceptively simple poems, Rosen covers a vast terrain, collating vivid and fragmentary memories from his left-wing Jewish upbringing, his teenage holiday at a socialist summer camp in France, his London childhood and the death of his eighteen-year-old son from meningitis. He takes in, along the way, marriage, divorce, births and the undiagnosed illness (an underactive thyroid) from which Rosen suffered for ten years.
A range of beautifully illustrated Michael Rosen's poems, including many of his classic works such as 'Down behind the dustbin'. The poems resonate with children's lives as they refer to everyday family life issues such as boredom on long car journeys. Many are appropriate for performance and can provide a framework for children's own writing. * Copper/ Band 12 books provide more complex plots and longer chapters that develop reading stamina. * Text type - Poetry book. * A `feelings wheel' on pages 30 and 31 encourages children to match phrases from the poems to feelings such as `happy' and `cross'. This encourages them to scan back through the poems and reflect on how they should be read aloud. * Curriculum links - ICT: Combining text and graphics; Music: Play it again - Exploring rhythmic patterns.
This most famous of love stories is uniquely presented in picture book form for children. The tale is told scene by scene in a simple lively style, with dialogue reproducing Shakespeare's own words so that the most celebrated passages of the play are retained in their original form.
All is quiet on the farm. The animals are fast asleep. Until Dog starts to snore! One by one, the other animals try to stop him: Sheep says Boo! the piglets giggle and Cat even tries to sing. But Dog snores on until morning, when, fresh as a daisy, he wakes up ready for a new day. By then, the other animals are so tired, all they can do is SNORE! This is a re-issue in a larger format and with a new cover, of the successful paperback, SNORE! It is companion title to OWW!!, also by Michael Rosen. Both books tell simple stories of life in the farmyard for children just ready for their first picturebook. Michael Rosen easy-to-read stories and poems, full of fun and drama are agelessly popular with both the youngest children and their parents.
He's wild, he's wicked, he's Little Rabbit Foo-Foo! The bully-boy bunny likes nothing better than to ride through the forest bopping everyone on the head. Wriggly worms, tigers, no one is safe. But here comes the Good Fairy - and she is not amused!
A collection of poems about school and friends - some familiar favourites and some brand new poems to excite young readers. Michael Rosen's humorous insights into children's lives make this a wonderfully accessible collection, with full colour illustrations by the irrepressible Korky Paul.
These stories include the great myths - of Amen-Ra, who created all the creatures in the world; of Isis, seaching the waters for her dead husband Osiris; of the Bennu Bird and the Book of Thoth. But there are also tales told for pleasure about magic, treasure and adventure - even the first ever Cinderella story.
Michael Rosen's favourite silly songs - with acrobatic actions, rappy rhymes and an orchestra of annoying noises - includes a singalong CD of all piano accompaniments. Michael Rosen's favourite silly songs - with acrobatic actions, rappy rhymes and an orchestra of annoying noises, including Joe's got a head like a ping-pong ball, Susanna's a fanciful cow and I'm a little wrong note. The songs are excellent for improving both literacy and singing skills and the book comes complete with a singalong CD.
This collection represents Michael Rosen's encounter with an 'ethnography of the center'-the study of cultural orders in the heart of the metropolis. Considers occupational worlds from finance and advertising to the subworld of drug dealing.
Hail! Hail! I come from another galaxy. Discover the wierd and wonderful world of martians, woolly saucepans and centrally heated knickers in 100 poems about science and technology from the delightfully irreverent, Michael Rosen, Children's Laureate 2007 - 2009.
Human beings live together in societies which, by their very nature, give rise to institutions governing the behaviour and freedom of individuals. This raises important questions about how these institutions ought to function, and the extent to which actual systems of government succeed or fail in meeting these ideals. This Oxford Reader contains 140 key writings on political thought, covering issues about human nature and its relation to society, the extent to which the powers of the State are justified, the tension between liberty and rights, and the way resources should be distributed. Topics such as international relations, minority rights, democracy, socialism, and conservatism are also discussed, by contributors ranging from Plato and Aristotle to Foucault, Isaiah Berlin, and Martin Luther King.
Age 6+ Containing all the ingredients of Michael Rosen's poetry - humour, rhyme, repetition and wordplay, this Book of Very Silly Poems covers all sorts of topics, all equally amusing and jovial.
This book addresses a central theme in social and political theory: what is the motivation behind the theory of ideology, and can such a theory be defended?
This book addresses a central theme in social and political theory: what is the motivation behind the theory of ideology, and can such a theory be defended?
For brave hunters and bear-lovers, the classic chant-aloud by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest!
Fantastic, cumulative adventure as a family cheerfully sets out on a brave hunt to find the bear. It could be frightening but they’re not scared. They’re full of confidence in what they are doing. Caves, mud, rivers, forest … whatever obstacles the family encounters, they resolutely overcome them happily repeating the chorus:“We can’t go over it”, “We can’t go under it”, “Oh no! We’ve got to go through it”.But when they find the bear its’ a lot more scary than they had thought and they hurtle home repeating all the noises as they go. ~ Julia Eccleshare Perfect for Reluctant Readers. To view other titles we think are suitable for reluctant readers please click here.
Hegel's philosophy has often been compared to a circle of circles: an ascending spiral to its admirers, but a vortex to its critics. The metaphor reflects Hegel's claim to offer a conception of philosophical reason so comprehensive as to include all others as partial forms of itself. It is a claim which faces the writer on Hegel with peculiar difficulties. Criticism, it would appear, can always be outflanked; criticism of the system can be turned back into criticism within the system. Michael Rosen discusses the philosophical issues involved in historical interpretation before presenting a novel and challenging solution to the problem of Hegel's openness to criticism. Contrary to received opinion, Hegel's philosophy does not, he argues, draw upon a universal and pre-suppositionless conception of rationality. Rather, Hegel's originality lies in founding his system upon a particular, avowedly mystical conception of philosophical experience. This experience - Hegel calls it 'pure Thought' - is fundamental. Pure Thought makes speculative reasoning intelligible and, hence, underpins the claim to rationality of the entire system. Dr Rosen's conclusion is that all attempts at rehabilitation of Hegel are based on misunderstanding. When restored to their speculative-mystical shell the irrational kernel of Hegel's concepts becomes apparent.
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