What I Like!: Poems for the Very Young(Poetry)

This entertaining volume of verse for the very young is the perfect introduction to poetry. Written by author, lecturer and visiting professor of education, Gervase Phinn, it includes poems about everything that is important to children: animals, family, food - and some very good jokes! Jane Eccles's humorous and wacky illustrations perfectly complement this lively and amusing collection.

Review :
By concentrating on everyday surroundings and events, this collection of verse is a perfect one for very young infants. This is a very useful book for any nursery and reception class teacher to keep nearby – the rhymes will fill in a few spare minutes, can be taught to the children for assemblies and other presentations, and will supplement material for many topics and projects within the National Curriculum. A wonderful resource! Poetry can be an exciting and stimulating way to develop children’s language and literacy skills, and now there is a new collection of poems for the Foundation Stage. What I Like! from children’s poet, Gervase Phinn, features over 25 original verses about food, family, nursery and animals, as well as counting rhymes, nonsense verse and finger games. The irrepressible Gervase Phinn has bought out another brightly illustrated fun poetry book for Foundation Stage and KS1 (or 2). Included are some new takes on nursery rhymes – “Mary , Mary, quite contrary,/How does your garden grow?”/”I suggest you read a gardening book,/and then you’ll get to know!” This sparkling collection includes poems about food, family, schools and animals, with counting rhymes, nonsense verses, finger games and some unusual treatments of familiar nursery rhymes. This is an excellent text for both Foundation Stage and Key Stage One, and an ideal introduction to poetry. A book of poems that are not deemed by my reviewer to match the title. ‘I don’t think they’re for very young children. I think it’s good. The poems are quite exciting.’ The Lucky Four-Leaf Clover made my reviewer giggle. When bending down to pick clover, father is butted by a goat and ends up falling flat on his face. Little Miss Mabel drew the response, ‘The picture of the snake who swallowed her plate is funny, and I like it because the boy is watching at the door.’ I hadn’t particularly noticed the boy, but now saw him clasping his hand over his mouth as he beholds the strangest of sights. I observed my reviewer taking a few seconds to study the picture for the inappropriately-named poem One to Ten. ‘The person who did the pictures actually counted the number of foxes – there are 34 of them – look, 34 foxes in a den.’ This is a delightful, witty book of verse written by a master. It introduces children to the world of poetry and the enjoyment of words and continues along the well worn tracks of some familiar nursery rhymes – The Grand Old Duke of Kent or Mary, Mary Quite Contrary – until you or the child are suddenly brought up short by the surprise of a suddenly anarchically different last line. Would a child be upset by this or just enjoy the difference? The poems are about what is closest to a young child’s heart: animals, food, activities and most of all fun. The book is clearly and attractively illustrated by Jane Eccles. It is an excellent supporting text for the Foundation Stage and KS1 in England and Wales, and for the Early Intervention Schemes in Scotland aimed at raising literacy and numeracy in the first two years of the primary school. All his years of experience in working with children mean that Gervase Phinn knows exactly what will appeal to his audience. Couple that with his love of English and his awareness of how vital it is for all children to develop a love of language, and you have a set of poems guaranteed to appeal. I love the way he has taken some well known poems and given them a very unusual twist - I can really imagine sharing 'On Old MacDonald's Mixed Up Farm' with a group of children, and this will really get them involved - very clever. All sorts of topics familiar to children are tackled; some poems have plenty of repetition so young readers will learn them quickly; others are longer. Lovely illustrations by Jane Eccles complement the poems wonderfully. A super book to help little ones get into the world of poetry at home or at school.