First things first, Brian Moses is one of my favourite children's poets. As a fellow children's poet and a primary school teacher, his work ticks all the boxes; it inspires young and older minds in equal measure (and pleasure). 😜
I qualified as a teacher in 1993 and started using Brian's anthologies in class soon after. His work was accessible, fun, thoughtful and clever. 30 years later, it still is!
I am also a huge fan of Allan Ahlberg and what I especially like about this new Brian Moses anthology is that it feels and looks like one of those classic poetry anthologies from the 1980s/ early 1990s that inspired me so deeply. Even the charming illustrations, by Mark Elvins, have that reassuringly retro vibe of a classic poetry book from one of the heydays of children's poetry.
There are 52 poems included and every single one is a cracker! They can be enjoyed for their own sake or they can be used for poetry prompts in the classroom. As a poet and teacher, I regularly use Brian's poetry prompts that he puts out on social media. Him and Pie Corbett must be two of the originals when it comes to poetry-prompting.
The poems are diverse in theme, type and style and are the epitome of quality poetry writing for children.
I highly recommend this new Brian Moses anthology for children, teachers and aspiring poets alike. I also highly recommend checking out Brian's blog; it a rich resource and totally free!
Also, check out publisher Scallywag Press who have only been around for 5 years but are putting out some incredible books right now, including poetry anthologies. Bless them for that!
The new Brian Moses anthology: On Poetry Street is out now!
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