A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young

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We took this book away with us over the summer and it was lovely to see older children getting enjoyment out of it too. They love to read aloud, and this was perfect, the younger children didn’t need to sit and listen for long, they could join in and the older children loved performing the poems as well.'

A Great Big Cuddle | BookTrust

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What is interesting to me here is that in terms of age of the reader, Rosen isn’t limiting himself solely to toddlers. There are a couple poems in here that preschoolers would probably appreciate more than their drooling, babbling brethren. “I Am Hungry”, for example, stars a hungry bear listing everything he could eat at this moment (both the usual fare and unusual selections like “A funny joke” or “The sound of yes”) ending with “Then I’ll eat me” which is just the right level of ridiculousness to amuse the canny four-year-old. And “Don’t Squash” is going to ramp up the silly levels pretty effectively when a splatter happy elephant is instructed not to squash her toes, nose, a bun, the sun, cars, stars, a fly, or the very sky. Apart from the use of repetition, the main techniques in this poem come from the layout and illustrations. For this poem the illustrations are very powerful as they help to paint a picture of the tiger’s journey. At the beginning of the poem when the phrase ‘bounce bounce’ is used, the tiger is portrayed through the illustrations as an infant who is quite unsure and anxious. The poem then develops to use the phrase ‘pounce pounce’ in replace of ‘bounce bounce’, as this happens, the tiger is displayed by the illustrations in a much more confident and grown-up way. The illustrations therefore help hugely with deepening the development of the poem. Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - The poem uses rhyming and repetition through the phases ‘bounce bounce’ and ‘pounce pounce’. This creates speed as you read the poem as well as reiteration of these important words. The lines in this poem are also very short and most of the words are repeated making it very accessible to younger children just beginning to look at poetry including those in the Foundation State and early KS1.

A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young | Michael Rosen

Michael Rosen is a hugely bestselling author of picture books and poetry. Michael frequently appears on radio and gives talks and lectures on children’s literature. Michael was the Children’s Laureate for 2007–2009 and the winner of the Eleanor Farjeon Award. He lives in London. The poem uses two repeated phases, ‘bounce bounce’ and ‘pounce pounce’. These phrases are very memorable as they act as the body for the poem. Each stanza contains one of these phrases, helping to create a repeating pattern throughout. The poem is positioned in quite an unusual way, starting in the top left-hand corner and progressing diagonally downwards to the bottom right-hand corner. The way that each verse is positioned encourages the reader to speed up when reading bringing purposeful tension to the poem. There is also an effect of each verse and accompanying illustration getting closer as the poem progresses, which gives the same effect. Where does the inspiration for this poem come from? Is it based on a real tiger as it finds its roar or is it based on a toy or even a child?

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When I read this poem, to me, the phrases have very positive connotations. This is because of the words used such as ‘boing’ and ‘bounce’, making the poem seem happy and therefore enjoyable for both the reader and the audience. The phrases also made me think of words children may use when they are playing such as ‘jump’ and ‘ball’, this will therefore not only be more relatable for the children, but will also help to reinforce this vocabulary. This book is an anthology of poetry which reflects the day to day issues of being a toddler. Some are short and punchy, others, like the above, are more in-depth and moving. All are accompanied by lavish illustrations that draw the eye and make you smile.

A Great Big Cuddle | Kids Poems and Stories Angry | POEM | A Great Big Cuddle | Kids Poems and Stories

I have loved exploring these poems with George who was 2 in May. He loves stories and that special time you get together when we read. He has been exploring sounds and words a lot lately and loves to watch your mouth when you make noises or sounds and any increased expression or intonation so these are perfect for him to join in with. His favourites are 'Boing! Boing!' where he bounces with me pounces and then does an impressive roar. He loves the finger play in 'Finger story' as well as the brilliant accompanying image which he notices every time. The poem has lots of actions and it finishes with bed so George can pretend to fall asleep which he loves doing with accompanying snores.' This is a great poetry anthology for younger children. Could be used in the Foundation Stage and some would be suitable for lower KS1. There are a range of different poems in this book which differ by length and style making it a great anthology for a primary school where the children are likely to have different tastes and abilities. The use of illustration and the size, font and colour of the text makes the poems even more enjoyable to read and look at. Overall, a lovely anthology which I would definitely use with children in the earlier years of primary school.Children’s Laureates Chris Riddell and Michael Rosen combine here to create a beautiful collection of ebullient poems for the very young. Michael Rosen’s close and affectionate observation of small children and the way they think is brilliantly captured in poems such as You Can’t See Me and Let Me Do It. There are also plenty of opportunities for the very young to join in with poems such as Tippy-Tappy and The Button Bop which they are guaranteed to want to hear again and again! Chris Riddell’s illustrations created an equally warm-hearted view of the early years and capture the spirit of the poems perfectly.