A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young

Product Information

A collection of beautifully illustrated new poems for toddlers, preschoolers, and anyone who loves having fun with words, A Great Big Cuddle documents the problems and pleasures of being very young. Two of the biggest names in children's publishing, Michael Rosen and Chris Riddell, come together in a new poetry collection. I enjoyed many of the poems in this large book with fun illustrations, but some of the poems I just didn't get. I mean, I'm not the audience they were written for so many that's part of it, but I'd like to think that I'm still very much a kid at heart and I read a lot of kids' books, so I don't think that's a full explanation.

A Great Big Cuddle’ - Logo of the BBC ‘A Great Big Cuddle’ - Logo of the BBC

I have often written about my life and family, but I also write occasional fantasy (usually based in a real place) and non-fiction. Young bear’s feet are growing, so it is time for him to get some new shoes.Vibrant illustrations and rhyming text capture the excitement of this familiar experience, making this an ideal tale for toddlers who are embarking on their own visit to the shoe shop. In I AM HUNGRY you can have fun together talking about all the things you’d eat if you were really hungry, or what makes you really angry in I AM ANGRY. Can children make a really angry face? 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? Michael Rosen isn’t a household name in United States, but I’d say at least one of his books is. Anyone who has ever sought out or read We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury has read his words. We’re just nuts about that book, and we have him to thank for it. Despite that, he’s not an author to relegate himself to just one kind of story. Indeed, I haven’t seen him produce much of anything quite as young as “Bear Hunt” in years (or, at the very least, I haven’t seen works of his brought to U.S. shores this “young” in content). That’s why this book is such a surprise and a delight.Most of my adult life, I've been a freelance writer, teacher (of sorts), journalist, performer and broadcaster. I visit schools doing my one-man show, and support Arsenal Football Club. 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. From re-invented fairy tales to classics from Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, here are some poetry books your child is sure to love and want to read out loud.

Books | Michael Rosen

Throughout many of these poems the author uses a range of fonts and text sizes to create emotion and effect. I like these poems because they are effectively illustrated to support the content of the poem e.g. the poem called I am angry, this poem provides the opportunity for children to be able to possibly relate to the poem and learn from it. From the poem I am angry the phrases ‘wake up stones’ and ‘boil words’ are memorable to me because they create a visual image of the authors creative thoughts and messages behind the words. They also portray the emotion of anger through the text format (bold font). A child’s world with all its details and feelings – toys and games, animals and made-up creatures, likes and dislikes – is vividly conjured up in the most memorable, playful language, and Chris Riddell has produced some his most extraordinary pictures ever to bring this world to life. Here are some videos of me performing poems from my book, A Great Big Cuddle, with pictures by Chris Riddell, published by Walker Books. Michael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London. Two of the biggest names in children’s publishing, Michael Rosen and Chris Riddell, come together in a new poetry collection.

It’s not just the title that resonates with children there are some really great poems in this collection. The illustrations are so eye-catching my 2-year-old can easily find his favourites and the pictures give him plenty to talk about.

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

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. If you have a small child, you grow accustomed to the classic nursery rhymes. They have, after all, withstood the test of time. Still, roundabout the one hundred and fortieth time you’ve read “Bye, Baby Bunting” you long for something a little different. Imagine then the palpable sense of relief such a parent might feel when reading jaunty little poems like “What a Fandango!” starring (what else?) a mango. The thing about Rosen is that so many of his poems feel as if they’ve been in the canon of nursery rhymery for centuries. “Oh Dear” is very much in the same vein as “Hush, Little Baby” all thanks to its regular rhythm and repetition. “Party Time” counts down and brings to mind “This Old Man” in reverse. And should you be under the misbegotten understanding that writing poems of this sort is easy, go on. Write one yourself. Now fill a book with them. I’ll just wait right here and finish my sandwich. The BBC Radio 2 Book Club announced on 24 January that its new home is on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show.

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. I really like the structure and simplicity of this poem, making it work very well for younger children or as an introduction into poetry for children with little exposure to this form of literature. The simplicity makes it easily understandable which children may enjoy as this is not always the case with poetry. I also really like the use of font, including size and colour, in making the last line of the poem bold and really stand out. This not only brings attention to this line but also shows the emphasis which needs to be added to it when reading aloud.

A Great Big Cuddle | Michael Rosen A Great Big Cuddle | Michael Rosen

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.' 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. It is also worth noting that without including any verbal instructions, even the dullest of parental readers will catch on pretty early that many of these poems are interactive. Consider “Finger Story” where your fingers are instructed to do everything from “wake up” and “stretch” to “climb” and “slide”. And just in case they’re still not getting it, Chris Riddell’s art is on hand, showing a pudgy youngster and an orangutan of uncommon sweetness walking their fingers together on the ground. On the fence over this one. I love how different and silly it is, but I'm not sure all the poems are good. I'm not much of a poem guy, so I'd love a second opinion, like from Adrienne. I do know that this is the creepiest toddler poem I've ever read, and I LOVE it:A collection of poems for children under the age of two. The illustrations are darling and some of the poems are absolutely wonderful. Some of the other poems are a little strange and I could see parents being put off by the first few. Matt Carr’s sweet picture book is a useful one for little ones and would be perfect at school or at home as a fun reminder to wash our hands and keep nasty germs away. Our Writer in Residence and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen's best books for little ones aged 0 to 5 - we highly recommend reading his brilliant poems aloud together for lots of fun!