Poems Aloud: Poems Are for Reading Out Loud!

In this fantastic collection, Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho shows us that poems are made to read OUT LOUD!

In this wittily illustrated anthology of poems, designed to be read aloud, twenty poems arm children with techniques for lifting poetry off the page and performing with confidence.

Perfect for confident children and shy readers alike, this book teaches all sorts of clever ways to performing poetry. Children will learn 20 techniques for reading aloud by trying out 20 funny and thoughtful original poems by the much-loved and award-winning performance poet, Joseph Coelho.

There are tongue twisters, poems to project, poems to whisper, poems to make you laugh. There are poems to perform to a whole class and others to whisper in somebody's ear. Richly textured, warm and stylish illustration by Daniel Gray-Barnett bring each page to life.

"Poetry for children is dead. Really? Not when there are young poets like Joseph Coelho" —Books for Keeps

Multi award-winning author Joseph Coelho is one of the UK’s most prestigious writers for children: he won the internationally renowned Carnegie Medal for Writing with The Boy Lost in the Maze and was selected to be the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022–2024. As part of that laureateship he completed a library marathon, joining over 213 libraries. He writes for children of all ages: his collection Ten-Word Tiny Tales won acclaim from the Wall Street Journal, The Horn Book, the Bulletin Center for Children’s Books, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist; the companion title, Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love, includes artwork from Jon Klassen, Sydney Smith, and many other award-winning and bestselling artists. His picture books include If All the World Were . . ., illustrated by Allison Colpoys, which has been translated into over 10 languages, and the critically acclaimed Luna Loves series, illustrated by Fiona Lumbers, which has sold over 450,000 copies. He is also an admired performer, broadcaster, and playwright.

Daniel Gray-Barnett is an Australian illustrator and author based in Tasmania. He has illustrated five books for children, including his award-winning debut, Grandma Z. His illustrations have been commissioned by clients such as The New York Times, Sydney Opera House, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker, Warner Music, and The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. His work has been shown internationally and has been awarded by the Society of Illustrators NY, Communication Arts and 3x3 magazine.