Ever since my father gave me The Book of a Thousand Poems for my fifth birthday and my grandmother read Edward Lear’s verses to me, I have always loved poetry and the sound of words.
Here I am reciting a poem as part of a primary school nativity play
Probably because of my song-writing background, many of my picture books are in rhyme.
I have also written a collection of verse called Crazy Mayonnaisy Mum, with witty line drawings by Nick Sharratt.
Some of the younger poems from that book also appear in the more highly illustrated Shuffle and Squelch.
Nick has also illustrated a book of action rhymes, Wriggle and Roar.
When I was the Children’s Laureate I compiled a poetry anthology called Poems to Perform, which is illustrated with beautiful lino cuts by Clare Melinsky. All the poems in this book are suitable for recitation by more than one voice, and the book contains performance suggestions.
