Book Title: Bright Bursts of Colour (available here)
Author: Matt Goodfellow
Illustrator: Aleksei Bitskoff
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: Feb 2020
Most Suitable For: Years 2-6
Reviewed By: Gabby McConalogue
A brilliant collection of poems by contemporary poet Matt Goodfellow.
This slender collection of poems shed insights into relevant aspects of children’s lives: from pets to refugees to best friends.
The collection is populated with generally short, easy-to-read verses that chop and change in style, structure and content. You can easily imagine children thinking, saying, doing or believing the ideas shared. Often the poems sound like they come straight from a child’s imagination; recalling their day or pondering on life. The idea of cats with flavoured fur or the sky being the same colour as your Grandma’s hair show the poet is tapping into a child’s wavelength and show aspects of both frivolous and philosophical conversations we have with children at different times.
It’s not all sunshine, colour and laughter. Nestled amongst the fun and silly verses are poignant, thought-provoking and tear-jerking gems that really strike a chord – The Sometimes Song, Chameleon Kids, The Day and Broken to name a few. Maybe its because we are in the midst of challenging times and home learning routines that I found these were the ones that stuck with me through the day. The poems in this collection would be great for reading aloud or sharing with a group. The illustrations add a simple layer of visual appeal and help the reader to understand the stories behind the lines.
An enjoyable read, highly recommended for sharing with primary school children.
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You can order Bright Bursts of Colour online or from your local bookshop or library.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending us a review copy of this book and to Review Panel member Gabby for reviewing it.
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> Visit our Reading for Pleasure Hub
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