All Together Now

‘All Together Now’ is a brilliant book of poems by Michaela Morgan, all gathered together for the first time! With a colourful cover by Nick Sharratt, it is a real treasure trove of poetry fun, a must have for all schools- and homes!

The collection bursts with a love of poetry, the joy of word play and the fun which can be had by creating, performing, reading and sharing poetry. Many of the poems are prefaced by a note to the reader, explaining the inspiration behind the piece or offering additional information to support the reader’s understanding. There are also performance and writing prompts throughout which make this collection invaluable to teachers or other adults who are uncertain about how to share poetry with children.

There are so many poems to enjoy here! Any of the poems in the section called ‘Word Play’ could be used as a model for writing, encouraging children to experiment with their own ideas and collaborate on work. ‘Tiger! Tiger!’ could be used not only to introduce children to William Blake’s original, showing how ‘real’ poets use the writing of other people for inspiration, but also as a starting point for discussions about animals in captivity. The poems gathered in the ‘People’ section would be excellent for using to enrich lessons or for sharing at a story time, provoking discussion and deepening learning. There are also many poems which would make brilliant performance pieces!

Many of these poems have been included in different poetry anthologies so it is wonderful to have them all in one handy collection! The poems are, of course, gems to share and enjoy, but the teacher in me quivers with delight at the potential it holds for developing children’s love and understanding of poetry. Nick Sharratt’s much loved and instantly recognisable illustrations are just the icing on the cake!

All Together Now

Michaela Morgan, illustrated by Nick Sharratt

Otter-Barry ISBN: 978-1915659644