The CLiPPA Shortlist (CLPE Poetry Award)

Funny, thought-provoking and bursting with curiosity, Wise Up! Wise Down! is a lively conversation between two internationally renowned poets, illustrated by treasured artist Satoshi Kitamura.How can laughter be more powerful than a sword? Why do days have names but not weeks? And do pigeons ever get a craving for cake? Two friends, internationally acclaimed poets John Agard and JonArno Lawson, take us on an inspiring, hilarious and wondrous journey through poetry, asking questions and attempting answers as they discover that life really is a forever and ever adventure.

A hilarious collection of pet poems by wordplay wizard Brian Bilston. When you've got a bad case of the 'mews' and are in desperate need of a 'pup'-lifting read, this book is the 'ulti-mutt' remedy. The perfect gift for a dog person, cat person and every pet lover in between.Please don’t think me lazy, I’m not trying to slack – it’s just that I’m stuck, you see, under this cat.Let Sleeping Cats Lie is a collection of poems following the funny lives of our furry – and not so furry – friends. Stars include Wilf, the hypnotist Labracadabrador, a philosophically inclined goldfish penning a profound haiku, a hen named Barbara receiving an adoring tribute, and an 'octopussy' cat that seems to have all its paws in plenty of odd little pies.

Find hamsters, dogs, robins and unicorns, little cars and big diggers – and of course Big Red Dragon, in this brilliant collection of 15 action rhymes for young children and babies.Rhymes celebrate festivals and special events, such as Easter, Halloween, Diwali, Christmas and Chinese New Year. With clear instructions to parents and carers, there are fun activities and lots of joining in for every rhyme, for babies, toddlers and older children too.This book is a perfect companion to Jane Newberry’s very popular first collection, Big Green Crocodile, which was shortlisted for the CLiPPA award. At home, playgroup or nursery, the rhymes provide fun while also nurturing children’s responses to language, rhyme and images.

Boost your child’s growing vocabulary with 75 hilariously illustrated poems from Colette Hiller, author of the critically acclaimed kids’ poetry book The B on Your Thumb.Each poem in this funny, funky book teaches a specific important word, as well as its meaning and spelling, in an innovative and accessible format that kids will love. Using rhythm and wordplay, the poems help build a colossal vocabulary, thinking skills and literacy – without kids even noticing! But most of all, this book delights young readers with the joy and silliness of the English language. Building a colossal vocabulary has never felt so natural, or so much fun! Each word in this collection is defined in a simple rhyme. Using rhythm, humour and logic, each word’s meaning is made clear and accessible. Kids will want to try them out straight away: it’s a ready-to-use collection! You and your kids will love:Rolling rhymes that will be chanted again and again Fun and quirky drawings that bring these educational poems to life Holistic learning premise from Colette Hiller, skilled in writing educational poetry for childrenFrom Ambiguous to Zealous, the words in this book are for 7-to-12-year-olds. It may seem inconceivable for one book to encompass such a wide age span! But in fact, inconceivable – and all the other words in this book – were selected from vocabulary lists intended for older children, so that younger children can challenge themselves and discover a wealth of great new words!

There’s Dad’s disgusting nettle soup and peculiar pancakes, horrible home haircuts, punishing press-ups and scum in the bath tub. BUT then there’s the joy of boxing lessons with Dad, fun family outings, jokes and pranks – and storytelling round the fire. Not to mention a homemade birthday cake like no other!The author's real-life childhood – rough, tough but happy – is vividly depicted in this ground-breaking, debut story told in poems.