An exciting new adventure has been announced! It’s called Lunar Mission One and for adults and for children, this is very great news. Lunar Mission One aims to send a lander to the Moon to drill down into the rock at the South Pole. This will tell us LOTS of things about how the moon…

My feet crunch cornflakes on the floor. My breath pours milk into the air. My face drips with honey from the sun. My fingers turn to toast inside my gloves. My voice clatters like a spoon into the street. My cheeks are jam-happy in the wind. My nose nibbles nuts before I sneeze. I lick…

Welcome to National Poetry Day! My countdown of poems for children has reached the end but what a collection it’s been. Next year I might quadruple it! If you’ve been following throughout the week then skip this bit because all I’m going to say is just how amazing the writers are who I’ve showcased. George…

It’s day FOUR of my poems for children countdown! That can only mean tomorrow is National Poetry Day. I’ll be talking to lots of children about poetry and I’m excited to discover what sort of poetry they love. So far in my countdown we have read George Szirtes, Edward Lear and e e cummings. Each…

It’s Day 3 of our countdown to National Poetry Day. We are celebrating with poems for children So far we have had George Szirtes and Edward Lear. Today it’s the turn of one of the most lyrical poets I know, E E Cummings. Whilst not strictly a poem ‘for’ children, it’s so evocative, so vividly…

It’s Day Two of my countdown to National Poetry Day. Yesterday I shared The Sea’s Hands, by George Szirtes. Today we will see a complete change of style. I’ve been a huge admirer of Edward Lear for a long time. From his limericks to The Owl and the Pussycat, his work is as part of…

I’m counting down to National Poetry Day (Thursday 2nd October) and I thought a great way to do this would be by listing my top five poems for children. Of course, they aren’t REALLY my top five. They are just the five that I feel are my favourite today. As my mood changes, so do…

The sun was happy you woke up today. Sure, it’s raining now and the sky looks like porridge and your brolly just broke and your shoes sprung a leak and your nose wants to run but the sun was happy you woke up today. It was happy you didn’t slide to hide under the sheets…

These words that we fling They can soothe They can sting They can make up Or break up, Shake up, Or wake up. They can take-up A campaign, A crusade, Or a cause. So be local. Be vocal. Celebrate. Don’t hesitate. Pick a word, Stand up, Be heard, And realise That in your patter, When…

You’ll often see the tallest bee Stood behind the sycamore tree. Why she’s there, I just don’t know – Perhaps she thinks her knees might show. — Illustration courtesy of, and copyright, Darren Woodcock. Follow him on Twitter. [sc name=”Coffee”]