I have spoken before about the delightful Colin West and his poems – his picture books, which were a favourite with my children, still remain on my shelves and will soon be available for my new grandson, when he’s old enough. This review is about Barmy Ballads, which is his latest book. Refreshingly at odds with most poetry books today, the poems are longer, poem stories, and all take you on a ride through completely hilarious absurdity, richly and charmingly added to with details by Colin’s trade-mark style illustrations (all in colour!). Where else would you find a poem entitled ‘Some Stuff ..read more

I’m sharing animals from around the world for World Poetry Day today – here is the white-bellied heron, once widespread in the foothills of the Himalayas in Bhutan and NE India, in the hills of Bangladesh and north Myanmar, now confined just a few sites. Illustration by the wonderful Rose Sanderson, from my book, Animal Magic, Poems on a Disappearing World, IRON Press ..read more

I’m posting world animals for #worldpoetryday – here’s a very odd-looking animal from Central and South America ..read more

It is world poetry day – the day on which everyone should read at least one poem – and maybe share one, too! I’m to be sharing a few world animal poems to celebrate the variety and wonder of the wildlife on planet earth in poetry. First of all – Africa ..read more