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Author & Illustrators

John Agard Books

Laughter is an Egg

Poetry

Laughter is an egg
with a crick-crack face
that can hide in the heart
of the human race.

Crack up with John Agard’s hilarious and heartfelt poems about laughter. From scrambled jokes on toast to a crocodile’s smile, this joyous collection of poems celebrates the laughter that lights up our lives, and is guaranteed to get you giggling.

Full of Agard’s signature wit and playfulness, this eggstraordinary illustrated collection is a perfect way to introduce young readers to poetry.

Discover Puffin Poetry, bringing timeless and treasured poetry collections to a new generation.

The Poetry World of John Agard

John Agard

Poetry

A towering figure in the children’s and YA poetry world, John Agard has chosen favourite poems from eight of his previously published collections: I Din Do Nuttin; Say it Again, Granny; No Hickory, No Dickory, No Dock;
Laughter is an Egg; Grandfather’s Old Bruk-a-Down Car; We Animals Would Like a Word With You; Come Back to Me My Boomerang, and Points of View With Professor Peekaboo.

Over 80 poems are included, reflecting the genius of Agard through a range of poetic forms and styles and most of all his extraordinary ability to connect with children of all ages through poetry.

Under the Moon & Over the Sea: A Collection of Poetry from the Caribbean

Grace Nichols & John Agard

Poetry

An award-winning collection of poetry vividly evoking the experience of living in the Caribbean – and of leaving for other lands.

This prestigious anthology, which won the 2003 CLPE Poetry Award, conjures up the sights and sounds, tastes and tales of the Caribbean; the experience of living there – and of leaving for other lands. A companion to the acclaimed A Caribbean Dozen, this book contains more than fifty poems by over thirty poets, including John Agard, Grace Nichols, James Berry, Valerie Bloom and Benjamin Zephaniah.

Wise Up! Wise Down!: Poems by John Agard and JonArno Lawson

John Agard & JonArno Lawson & Satoshi Kitamura

Poetry

Shortlisted for the CLiPPA poetry prize, Wise Up! Wise Down! is a collaborative poetry book that reads like a chat between old friends. The concept is a conversation between two poets – in poetry, of course!

Instead of a standard collection of separate pieces, celebrated poets John Agard and JonArno Lawson volley ideas, rhymes and riddles back and forth across the pages. Different fonts make it easy for children to track the witty conversation between the two.

Satoshi Kitamura’s distinctive illustrations add another appealing layer, connecting the verses beautifully. It is a rich, challenging and deeply fun poetry book that makes a fantastic addition to poetry shelves or reading for pleasure slots for confident upper KS2 readers who love wordplay. You can also find out more in JonArno’s recent interview about the book for our blog.

John Agard’s Windrush Child

John Agard & Sophie Bass

Picturebook

A BEAUTIFULLY EVOCATIVE STORY OF A CHILD’S JOURNEY TO ENGLAND ON BOARD EMPIRE WINDRUSH, FROM AN INTERNATIONALLY CELEBRATED, MULTI-AWARD-WINNING POET AND AN EXTRAORDINARY DEBUT ILLUSTRATOR.

“you’re stepping into history
bringing your Caribbean eye
to another horizon”

With one last hug, Windrush chid waves goodbye to his Caribbean home and sets sail across the ocean to Britain. In this powerful picture book, full of hope and promise, celebrated poet John Agard and illustrator Sophie Bass movingly evoke the journey made by children and their families as part of the Windrush Generation.

Shona, Word Detective

John Agard & Michael Broad

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Shona has always loved words. She even has her very own strange word thesaurus! When her and her classmates learn that some languages are dying out, Miss Bates tasks them with becoming top-class word detectives, proving to themselves and their families that there are many beautiful languages still thriving, even within their own classroom. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 7+.