Reviewed and selected by our poetry expert, Liam Parkin:
As an experienced children’s poet, Tony Mitton’s new collection is a feast of diverse poems ready to absorb any imagination – ‘who knows what you’ll find?’ With beautiful rhymes and rhythms, Mitton’s collection brings forth humour and intellect that is entirely accessible to young readers. An excellent feature of this piece is the sound he creates; from the big red boots that squeak and toot, to the evil onomatopoeic will o’ the wisp. Yet the distinguishing feature of this collection is the use of legend and myth, ranging from ‘Death and the Knight’, the Chinese deity of compassion ‘Kwan Yin’ and ‘The White Horse of Uffington’. All who read this will be thoroughly entertained and learn something new with Mitton’s exquisite storytelling. If there is ever a poetry collection to read with your children, this is most certainly it.
I saw the ghost horse through the trees on a late midsummer night. It cropped the grass in a forest glade by a full moon's milky light. What is the mysterious ghost horse doing in the woods? Who is the spy who wrote with the blood of a poisonous toad? Then discover the Cold Comfort Pets - including the pet germ, and the Itchy Titchy Pet - a frisky flea, or make the biggest sandwich you could ever imagine. From spooky legends to dreamy poems, teasers and laugh-out-loud rhymes, expect the unexpected from Tony Mitton. This collection is a poetry adventure waiting to happen...
"A poet with a powerful feeling for story and language" - Carousel
Author
About Tony Mitton
Tony Mittonhas been writing since he was 9. He began writing specifically for children while working as a primary school and special needs teacher. He now works full-time as a writer and sometimes performs his poems in schools and libraries and other venues, mainly in the UK. His picture books includeDown by the Cool of the Pool(with Guy Parker-Rees) and The Somethingosaur(with Russell Ayto).
He lives in a small house in the middle of Cambridge with his wife and two children, and a cat called Tiggy, who is definitely one of the family. Tony likes Cambridge but he and his wife often wish they'd settled somewhere where there are better places for walking, like cliffs and hills with good views of the landscape.
