National Trust: I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree: A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year (Poetry Collections)

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Paired throughout with Preston-Gannon’s evocative, vibrantly textured digital illustrations, Waters’ superbly curated poems offer something for everyone: majestic and inspiring as nature itself.” It can equally be dipped into at any time, be read at bedtime, by season or just by choosing an illustration and seeing what that poem is all about! The winners of the 2019 Big Book Awards have been announced today, and we’re absolutely delighted that I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree: A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year has won the Children’s (Illustrated) category!

The poems are all about nature and people interacting with it, observing it, fearing or delighting over it. Maybe that has made following the months and changing seasons especially fun. Or maybe it’s just that I love animals and plants so much that this really was perfect for me. December – Red Sky at Night – I would use this poem to explore the English language, different cultures and explore old sayings that have been passed down throughout generations. The children could choose a topic and create their own sayings to go with them. I have used this book for English lessons to inspire pupils to write their own poems, PSHE to explore thoughts, feelings and emotions as well as for art. Winner of the Waterstones Children's Gift of the Year 2018, this lavish poetry collection is a perfect present for any age. The winners of The Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards 2023, highlighting the work schools are doing to encourage a love of reading, have...

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Annette, the wonderful outdoor blogger at Four Acorns in Ireland, first brought it to my attention having bought it for her kids. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to review it for all you wonderful outdoor nature families who follow Kids of the Wild. November – Anonymous – As with previous poems on key dates this poem could be used to look at the history of ‘bonfire night’ as well as explore the tradition of fireworks. The children could create their own soundscapes and poems, as well as art to describe and express this event. Nature walk – what sort of things did we hear about in the poems? Will we see them when we go outside? What might we find? April – The First of April (extract) – Anonymous – Another fun and upbeat poem that could be used to explore the history of April Fools Day and create their own version of the poem, as well as explore other key dates in history that have become an annual tradition.This was a beautiful presented and illustrated book, that I will take pleasure in reading to young family members, if ever the occasion arises. I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree: A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon and collected by Fiona Waters, is a beautifully illustrated collection of 366 nature poems, one for every day of the year. To celebrate this epic poetry book, we invited budding poets aged 7-11 across the nation to write a poem inspired by the natural world. I have already enjoyed reading the poems (when Caroline’s out with friends!) for the birth dates of friends and family, and my hope is that we will read each day’s poem at dinner time, as a new gratitude/grace before meals family ritual. If using this book in English specifically for poetry, I would use it to highlight the different forms of poetry such as haiku’s, riddles, acrostics and shape poems. I would also use the book to reference when children begin to learn to write poetry and explore writing their own versions (examples of when I would do this are highlighted below). I would also use this in English to explore the different ways poetry could be read aloud, i.e. explore how RAP lyrics are a form of poetry; specifically standing for rhythm and poetry. The way a poem is performed can change the feeling or message you receive when listening to or reading the poem on paper. This wonderful collection of poetry offers a beautifully illustrated poem for each day of the year and a diverse collection for every month and season. The publisher of this collection, Kate Wilson, explains her intention for this book to build upon a collection of poetry she herself had loved as a young person and ‘to make something that was more beautiful and easier to find your way into’ and ‘to make a book that helped you see the world around you’. This collection is inspiring, educational and presents a diversity of different poets and literary techniques. I truly believe there is something for everyone hidden within this book and that this would be a perfect addition to any classroom and anyone’s book shelf.