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Where the Wild Things Are : Maurice Sendak : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

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Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Medal-winning picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. A must for every...

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"WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE" story and pictures by Maurice Sendak - Read-Aloud

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Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short film in 1973 (with an updated version in 1988); a 1980 opera; and a live-action 2009 feature-film adaptation. The book had sold over 19 million copies worldwide as of 2009, with 10 million of those being in the United States.

Sendak won the annual Caldecott Medal from the children's librarians in 1964, recognizing Wild Things as the previous year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It was voted the number one picture book in a 2012 survey of School Library Journal readers, not for the first time.

The story focuses on a young boy named Max who, after dressing in his wolf suit, wreaks such havoc through his household that he is sent to bed without his supper. Max's bedroom undergoes a mysterious transformation into a jungle environment, and he winds up sailing to an island inhabited by monsters, simply called the Wild Things. The Wild Things try to scare Max, but to no avail. After stopping and intimidating the creatures, Max is hailed as the king of the Wild Things and enjoys a playful romp with his subjects. Finally, he stops them and sends them to bed without their supper. However, to the Wild Things' dismay, he starts to feel lonely and decides to abdicate and return home. The creatures do not want him to go and throw themselves into fits of rage as Max calmly sails away home. Upon returning to his bedroom, Max discovers a hot supper waiting for him.

Sendak began his career as an illustrator, but by the mid-1950s he had decided to start both writing and illustrating his own books. In 1956, he published his first book for which he was the sole author, Kenny's Window (1956). Soon after, he began work on another solo effort. The story was supposed to be that of a child who, after a tantrum, is punished in his room and decides to escape to the place that gives the book its title, the "land of wild horses". Shortly before starting the illustrations, Sendak realized he did not know how to draw horses and, at the suggestion of his editor, changed the wild horses to the more ambiguous "Wild Things", a term inspired by the Yiddish expression "vilde chaya" ("wild animals"), used to indicate boisterous children.

He replaced the horses with caricatures of his aunts and uncles, caricatures that he had originally drawn in his youth as an escape from their chaotic weekly visits, on Sunday afternoons, to his family's Brooklyn home. Sendak, as a child, had observed his relatives as being "all crazy - crazy faces and wild eyes", with blood-stained eyes and "big and yellow" teeth, who pinched his cheeks until they were red. These relatives, like Sendak's parents, were poor Jewish immigrants from Poland, whose remaining family in Nazi-occupied Europe were killed during the Holocaust while Sendak was in his early teens. As a child, however, he saw them only as "grotesques".

When working on the 1983 opera adaptation of the book with Oliver Knussen, Sendak gave the monsters the names of his relatives: Tzippy, Moishe, Aaron, Emile, and Bernard.

In Selma G. Lanes's book The Art of Maurice Sendak, Sendak discusses Where the Wild Things Are along with his other books In the Night Kitchen and Outside Over There as a trilogy centered on children's growth, survival, and fury. He indicated that the three books are "all variations on the same theme: how children master various feelings - danger, boredom, fear, frustration, jealousy - and manage to come to grips with the realities of their lives". Fundamental to Sendak's work for over fifty years is his trust in the validity of children's emotions.

Dr. Kara Keeling and Dr. Scott Pollard, both English professors, assess the role that food plays in the book, arguing that food is a metaphor for Max's mother's love based on the idea that Max comes home to a "still hot" supper, which suggests that his mother "loves him best". Going along with this, Mary Pols of magazine wrote that "[w]hat makes Sendak's book so compelling is its grounding effect: Max has a tantrum and in a flight of fancy visits his wild side, but he is pulled back by a belief in parental love to a supper 'still hot', balancing the seesaw of fear and comfort".

Where the Wild Things Are is a story that shows children's resilience through their "spirit" and "pluck". Max is able to stand up to the Wild Things with their "terrible teeth" and "terrible claws" using "the magic trick of staring into all their yellow eyes without blinking once".

Professor Liam Heneghan describes Max's dream as one of mastering the wild, from which he also learns to master his "inner tumult". It sets forth the unrestrained rowdiness of the Wild Things and enlightens the reader to the idea that one cannot live in the wild forever. In her words: "In this notion of wilderness, there is a heightened reminder that after our fill of wilderness, one can, or perhaps even should, return, replenished, to the comforts of home". Heneghan concludes that "the overarching thought is an old one: a human engages with Wild Things and in so doing comes into accord with the world and gains a measure of self-mastery".

Where the Wild Things Are has received high critical acclaim. Francis Spufford suggests that the book is "one of the very few picture books to make an entirely deliberate and beautiful use of the psychoanalytic story of anger". New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis noted that "there are different ways to read the wild things, through a Freudian or colonialist prism, and probably as many ways to ruin this delicate story of a solitary child liberated by his imagination". Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Five years later School Library Journal sponsored a survey of readers which identified Where the Wild Things Are as a top picture book. Elizabeth Bird, the librarian from the New York Public Library who conducted the survey, observed that there was little doubt that it would be voted number one and highlighted its designation by one reader as a watershed, "ushering in the modern age of picture books". Another critic called it "perfectly crafted, perfectly illustrated ... simply the epitome of a picture book" and noted that Sendak "rises above the rest in part because he is subversive". President Barack Obama read it aloud for children who were attending the White House Easter Egg Roll in multiple years.

New York Times writer Bruce Handy brought up the idea that "as a child myself, without benefit of personal insights subsequently gleaned from more than a decade of talk therapy, I had been left cold by Where the Wild Things Are". Deborah Stevenson, a writer for The Horn Book Magazine, talks about the effects the book had on a child who "screamed, apparently not with delight, every time Where the Wild Things Are was read to him. It is quite possible for some young readers or listeners to be moved to alarm by a book, just as they can be moved to joy or excitement or boredom". Sendak responded to this criticism in an interview, asking: "Did she hate her kid? Is that why she was tormenting her with this book?"

Despite the book's popularity, Sendak refused to produce a sequel; four months before his death in 2012, he told comedian Stephen Colbert that a sequel would be "the most boring idea imaginable". Where the Wild Things Are was number four on the list of "Top Check Outs OF ALL TIME" by the New York Public Library.

An animated short adaptation, which had taken five years to complete, was released in 1973, directed and animated by Gene Deitch and produced at Krátký film, Prague, for Weston Woods. It had narration by Allen Swift and a musique concrète score composed by Deitch himself; an updated version, which featured a new musical score and narration both by Peter Schickele, was released in 1988. This revised version was featured in a Children's Circle video titled The Maurice Sendak Library.

In the 1980s, Sendak worked with British composer Oliver Knussen on a children's opera based upon the book. The opera received its first (incomplete) performance in Brussels in 1980; the first complete performance of the final version was given by the Glyndebourne Touring Opera in London in 1984. This was followed by its first U.S. performance in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1985 and the New York City premiere by New York City Opera in 1987. A concert performance was given at The Proms in the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2002.[citation needed ] A concert production was produced by New York City Opera in spring 2011.

In 1983, Walt Disney Productions conducted a series of tests of computer-generated imagery created by Glen Keane and John Lasseter using as their subject Where the Wild Things Are.

In 1999, Isadar released a solo piano musical composition titled "Where the Wild Things Are" which appeared on his album Active Imagination, inspired by the Sendak book. The composition was revisited and re-recorded in 2012 on Isadar's album, Reconstructed, with Grammy winner and founder of Windham Hill Records, William Ackerman, producing.

The 2005 Simpsons episode, " The Girl Who Slept Too Little", features a spoof of Where the Wild Things Are entitled "The Land of the Wild Beasts".

A live-action film version of the book was released on October 16, 2009. Directed by Spike Jonze and co-produced by Sendak, the film stars Max Records as Max and features Catherine Keener as his mother, with Lauren Ambrose, Chris Cooper, Paul Dano, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara and Forest Whitaker providing the voices of the principal Wild Things. The soundtrack was written and produced by Karen O and Carter Burwell. The screenplay was adapted by Jonze in collaboration with Dave Eggers, who also novelized the screenplay as The Wild Things, published in 2009.

In 2012, indie rock quartet alt-J released the song " Breezeblocks", inspired in part by the book. Alt-J keyboardist Gus Unger-Hamilton said the story and the song share similar ideas about parting with a loved one. "Breezeblocks" reached certified ARIA Gold status in Australia.

In 2016, Alessia Cara released her second single, " Wild Things", which charted at number fifty on the Billboard Hot 100. In an interview with ABC News Radio, Cara stated she took inspiration from Where the Wild Things Are, saying "each 'Thing' represents an emotion and [the main character] kinda escapes into this world ... and that's kinda what I wanted to do".

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Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book written and illustrated by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published in hardcover by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short film in 1973 (with an updated version in 1988); a 1980 opera; and a live-action 2009 feature-film adaptation.

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Children's Author of the Day 2011 Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

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Children's Author of the Day 2011 Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

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There are songs to listen to and join in with and so many activity sheets with fun ideas of great stuff to do that you'll never be bored again!

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Watch Julia Donaldson star in a staged adaptation of The Gruffalo

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The Gruffalo Song in Makaton - Julia Donaldson star in a staged adaptation of The Gruffalo

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The Gruffalo Song in Makaton - Julia Donaldson star in a staged adaptation of The Gruffalo

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Watch Julia Donaldson star in a staged adaptation of The Gruffalo

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Learn new words to improve your vocabulary to help you communicate well in English.

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Revise and practise your grammar to help you increase your confidence and improve your language level.

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Lovers of all things British, this is your YouTube home! Welcome, and enjoy a cup of tea.

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Horrible Histories is a hit CBBC show that explores the side of history that they don’t teach you about in school! From the Vicious Vikings and Awful Egyptians to the Slimy Stuarts and Terrible Tudors, Horrible Histories covers the funniest, yuckiest and most gruesome bits of history for kids. This…

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British Life and Culture in the UK - Woodlands Junior School

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British customs and traditions are famous all over the world. Our British Life and Culture website will tell you some of the fascinating facts and information about our beautiful country, in a way that is easy to read and to understand. When people think of Britain they often think of people drinking tea, eating fish and chips and wearing bowler hats, but there is more to Britain than just those things.

We have over 30,000 pages on Britain, so you are sure to find what you are looking for right here!
Question asked by our Visitors | Remembrance | Stir Up Sunday | Advent | Advent Calendar

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British Life and Culture in the UK - Woodlands Junior School

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Fascinating facts and information about British Life and Culture in a way that is easy to read and to understand.

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How to teach English to very young children with songs - Super Safari

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How to teach English to very young children with songs - Super Safari

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If you wish to find out how to teach English to very young children with songs, this video is for you. It includes practical ideas, best practice and actual lesson footage.

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Teaching Tips 6: Using chants, rhymes and rounds

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Teaching Tips 6: Using chants, rhymes and rounds

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Teaching Tips 1: Using Songs in the Classroom

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Teaching Tips 1: Using Songs in the Classroom

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The TRUE story of the 3 little pigs by A.Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka.  Grandma Annii's Story Time

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The TRUE story of the 3 little pigs by A.Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka.  Grandma Annii's Story Time

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Write 30 Children's Books in 30 Days, Here's How (Free Writing Prompts)

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Think of this as your permission from the universe to write.

Each November I participate in a challenge with a daily goal of writing one children's book a day. Yes, some of the stories stink, most really. But there are always a few bits of magic in there. And those little gems are the ones I try to massage later in to stories worth publis hing.

The key is to do the massaging once the month is over. Having a perfect story by month end is not the goal. Creating thirty totally new stories is.
Here's how the challenge works:

Set aside thirty minutes a day, for 30 days straight

Use one writing prompt, found below, per day

You can go in order, or skip around, but finish every one - even the ones that don't inspire you at first glance, because you want to stretch yourself to take on new subjects, perspectives, and ideas

Use the hashtag #chibowrimo on social media to see what others are writing
(Chibowrimo = Children's Book Writing Month)

Every year I feel excited, and overwhelmed, by this challenge. But when I look back at the last five stories I published, each one started as part of a prompt from #chibowrimo

Now it's your turn.

Don't overthink it. Just print out the list of prompts, put it by a fresh notebook and pen, and set a reminder on your phone to get started on Nov. 1st.

If you want some other prompt options check out these, and pick your favorite.

The universe is ready to hear your stories. It's time to let them out.

30 Stories in 30 Days, Child ren's Book Writing Prompts:

A story about a backpack full of...

A story about an epic hike

A story about a cell phone that only calls one person

A story about an animal that lives abroad (ie: a pigeon in Paris)

A story about a kidpreneur that makes money for someone in need

A story about the Worst Teacher Ever

A story that uses alliteration. Pick a letter of the alphabet before getting started.

A Story about a topic kids find hilarious

A story about caring for grumpy people or animals

A story about how to clean a big mess

A story about Plan B being better than Plan A

A story about caring for something small and fragile

A story about a person with an embarrassing secret

A story about your new world record in...

A story about a letter that gets lost in the mail and found again a year later

Free Day, YOYO (Your on Your Own)

A story about a Holiday with a twist

A story about an adult that needs help from child

A story that is a song, or has a rap in it, to teach something new

A story about a train carrying a special surprise

A story that is under 100 words

A story about a magical item of clothing

A story that is non fiction (but still interesting)

A story about going to sleep

A story that is a sequel to something else your wrote

A story about finding $100 and having an internal debate about what to do with it

A story about how you stopped the "bad guys"

A story about how to stop anger in the world

A story about being the first kid on the moon

A story that includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas - bonus points for New Years too!

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Write 30 Children's Books in 30 Days, Here's How (Free Writing Prompts)

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Think of this as your permission from the universe to write. Each November I participate in a challenge with a daily goal of writing one children's book a day. Yes, some of the stories stink, most really. But there are always a few bits of magic in there.

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How Julia Donaldson conquered the world, one rhyme at a time

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he room where the children's author Julia Donaldson writes - the heart of her vast picture book empire - is down a winding staircase, in the cellar of her grand white house in Steyning, West Sussex. Her desk looks out on the street at knee height. "I'm thinking of writing a book about legs," Donaldson said, as she showed me around the house this summer. Children from the nearby school often wave in at her as they pass. Donaldson is well known in Steyning, due to her frequent signings at the local bookshop. She and her husband, Malcolm, a retired paediatrician, recently bought the local post office to save it from closure. But elsewhere she can walk the pavement without being recognised. "I got a letter the other day for Jacqueline Wilson," Donaldson told me. "It said: 'You're my favourite author!'"

If you are not someone who spends much time with young children, you may only be dimly aware of Donaldson's work - although you will probably be familiar with her most famous creation, the Gruffalo. If you have children, however, you will know her as a cultural juggernaut whose influence among children is perhaps only surpassed by the works of Disney and CBeebies. Donaldson, who is 72, has written more than 210 books: chiefly picture books, but also poetry, plays, a 60-part phonics reading scheme and a novel for preteens. Many of them - such as Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, and What the Ladybird Heard - are already considered classics. Several have been adapted into stage shows and animated BBC films (the latest, Zog & the Flying Doctors, will air on Christmas Day) and spawned an ever-expanding Donaldson universe of toys, clothing and merchandise.

Every night at bedtime, millions of children - pyjamas on, teeth reluctantly brushed - curl up to read or listen to a Donaldson story. Her fans include Michelle Obama and Prince William, who awarded Donaldson a CBE in 2019. "Julia Donaldson is the unassailable queen of picture books," Kes Gray, creator of the hit Oi Frog! series, told me. The bestselling children's author David Walliams called Donaldson a "complete and utter genius," adding: "I am in total awe of her talent."

In the UK, a Julia Donaldson book is sold about every 11 seconds, though even that fails to adequately capture the scale of her success. Better to say that between 2010 and 2019, more than 27m Julia Donaldson books were sold in the UK, making her the bestselling author of the decade in any age group or genre, according to the trade database Nielsen Bookscan. To put those numbers in context, the second bestselling author of the decade, David Walliams, sold 18.1m books. The bestselling author of books for adults, the novelist James Patterson, sold 14.1m. (JK Rowling did not make the top five.) The Sunday Times Rich List has estimated Donaldson's personal wealth at more than £30m.

Children's authors occupy a strange space in the literary world. Although children's books account for about a third of all books sold, they receive only 4.9% of review coverage - and, many authors argue, a similarly slim share of the prestige. The best-known children's authors - the Dahls, Pullmans and Rowlings of this world - have tended to write for older age groups, when children are reading to themselves. Picture books, on the other hand, while ostensibly for the child, are bought and read by an adult. As a result, the picture book market is driven by nostalgia. Parents and grandparents buy the books they remember having read to them as a child: The Tiger Who Came to Tea, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Mog. Booksellers stock their shelves accordingly. Breaking through as a new children's author is notoriously difficult.

Picture books are easy to read - Donaldson's usually run at just 32 pages, and under 1,000 words - which can give the mistaken impression that they are easy to write. This myth has been reinforced by the publishing industry's penchant for indulging celebrity authors, who are seen as a guarantee of press coverage and sales, though the books themselves are often ghost-written or heavily edited, and few are unqualified successes. Donaldson has repeatedly complained that picture book authors do not receive "the recognition they deserve", lamenting at the 2019 Hay festival that "everything has to be the next big thing or else just go out of print".

Similar charges, meanwhile, have been levelled at Donaldson, whose dominance of the picture book genre is seen by some as crowding out the market for new titles. "Some authors are a bit sniffy about her, but I think that's just pure and simple jealousy because she's so successful and she gets all that shelf space," the author and illustrator Rob Biddulph told me. "But there's a reason for it: she's a genius."

n the picture book trade, Donaldson is revered for her lyrical, rhyming verse and her ceaseless productivity. In 2020 alone, her publishers Scholastic and Macmillan have published What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside (illustrated by Lydia Monks), The Teeny Weeny Genie (illustrated by Anna Currey), The Hospital Dog (Sara Ogilvie) and Counting Creatures (Sharon King-Chai). That's before you count reissues and the countless activity books, cookery books and other spin-offs not written by Donaldson but based on her creations.

"Someone from another publisher happened to see my publishing schedule," Donaldson told me. "They said: 'That's more than the number of books we do altogether - for everyone.'"

Still, the pandemic forced even Donaldson to a halt. "I haven't really done much writing," Donaldson said. Even so, she had managed to write some poems, a song, begun editing two new poetry anthologies, and approved drafts of illustrations for her next books, due in 2021.

Donaldson's house looks out on to Steyning's high street. It's an old place, timber framed, with additions over the years that mean the ceiling height changes from room to room. Off one bedroom is a tiny playroom too low for adults to stand up in - a den for her eight grandchildren when they come to visit. There are internal windows, blind corners, and everywhere art and scenery from her books and stage shows, giving the place a fantastical quality. When I visited in August, Donaldson wore a purple blouse with pink spots on and her grey hair cut in a fringe and to shoulder length, concealing her hearing aids. In her 30s, Donaldson was diagnosed with "cookie-bite" hearing loss - named for the bite-shaped hole that it leaves in the mid-range of the audible spectrum, making it difficult for sufferers to hear some speech and music. Masks prevent her from lip reading, so I removed mine and we sat in her garden, where Donaldson poured coffee into mugs decorated with art from The Go-Away Bird. (It is a mark of Donaldson's importance to Macmillan that we were accompanied by not one but two publicists.)

With her ordinarily packed schedule of live events cancelled by coronavirus, this summer Donaldson instead decided to put on a series of livestreamed readings. The weekly videos featured Julia and Malcolm at home, delivering dramatic renditions of her back catalogue, often in full costume, and occasionally in song. Many of her illustrators also appeared, hosting drawing tutorials. The videos, which have a charmingly amateurish quality - shaky camerawork, home-spun costumes - culminated with Donaldson performing The Gruffalo in a local wood, wearing oversized mouse ears and a tan overcoat. In all, the films have been viewed more than 1m times.

"She's got this great authenticity when she performs," her longtime illustrator Axel Scheffler told me. "Children see that and love it. There is still something - not improvised, but you can see they're not professional actors."

Donaldson is as much a performer as a writer. One room in her house is dedicated just to her stage props, which tumble out of boxes, all oversized eyes and felted limbs. Even as a child, she envisioned a life on stage. "I suppose it does stem from being attention-seeking, wanting to be famous and appreciated," she said.

Donaldson was born in 1948, and grew up in a three-storey Victorian house in Hampstead, north London, yards from Hampstead Heath. To save money, Donaldson's extended family bought the house together: her aunt and uncle lived on the top floor, her grandmother on the floor below, and Julia, her parents and her sister, Mary, on the ground floor. When Julia was six, her father contracted polio, and thereafter needed a wheelchair. Even so, he played cello in a string quartet, and her mother sang in a local choir group, and Donaldson recalls a house filled with music and stories.

Donaldson with the Singing Mermaid, and Snake from The Gruffalo. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

One year, Donaldson's father gave her a copy of A Book of 1,000 Poems, a compilation of classic children's poetry. Donaldson loved it so much that she began talking to her parents in verse. She resolved to become a poet. (She keeps the book on her desk even now.) She performed constantly - at school, and at home, hanging off the top bunk to stage puppet shows for her sister. At 12, she landed an understudy role in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Bristol Old Vic theatre. Among the cast was a young Judi Dench. "Every performance I would sit backstage on Old Ninny's tomb and watch. I knew that play completely off by heart."

Children's authors are often described as being in touch with their inner child, or childlike. With Donaldson, it's more that she so vividly remembers the experience of her own childhood, that she remembers what it's like to encounter a grownup. "I always used to think: why do grownups not walk along walls? Is it because they don't want to - which is unthinkable - or do they want to terribly, but they know that grownups just mustn't?"

She studied drama at Bristol University, and in 1969 spent a summer studying in Paris with a friend. Malcolm, then a medical student and a friend-of-the-friend, joined them. The group made money busking. Malcolm played guitar and Julia sang, covers mostly, but increasingly songs of her own - little ditties in French, a song in Italian about pasta - designed to amuse the crowd. Throughout the early 70s, they spent holidays busking across Europe and the US and performing street theatre. (They wed in 1972; Donaldson composed an operetta for the occasion.) In 1977, she and Malcolm recorded an album, First Fourteen, containing some of their early songs, which have a folksy, absurdist charm, reminiscent of early Monty Python.

In 1974, she sent a tape of children's songs to the BBC, and was commissioned to write music for the children's TV series Play Away. "I really wanted to be a presenter," Donaldson told me. "I did have an audition and didn't get it. They said: 'Why don't you just keep on with the writing?'" Songwriting was irregular work, so Donaldson took a series of jobs in publishing and radio, eventually landing as a teacher in a private girl's school in Brighton. "The girls thought I was the bee's knees, because all the other teachers were very ancient and traditional," she said. Even after she quit teaching following the birth of her first child, Hamish, she continued to volunteer at schools, running drama clubs and writing musicals for children.

On stage, Donaldson exudes an irresistible, benevolent energy. Young children, she says, make for a perfect audience: "They want to be entertained, and they want to join in." She and Malcolm still regularly perform on stage and at signings, for which families can queue for hours. (Impatient parents cause more problems than children. "There was one event where people were banging on the windows - it was almost that slightly rioting feel," Lydia Monks, who has illustrated 18 of Donaldson's books, told me.)

"Picture books are theatre for an audience of two," said Kate Wilson, the managing director of publishers Nosy Crow and Donaldson's former publisher. "They require performance, because most of the audience of a picture book is not able to read. And Julia is a performer."

n 1991 an editor in the children's department at Methuen contacted Donaldson to ask if she would be interested in turning one of her BBC songs into a book. A Squash and a Squeeze was published in 1993, when Donaldson was 44. It was not expected to be a big seller. For one thing, it was in rhyme, which publishers at the time largely avoided because of difficulties with translation. "In order for a picture book to be profitable, you more or less have to glue some foreign editions on, so you can do a bigger print run," Donaldson said.

"It was a rule we held to be self-evident that you couldn't afford to do rhyming books," Wilson, who then worked in Methuen's rights department, told me, somewhat sheepishly. (The book has since sold more than 1.5m copies, and Donaldson's work has been translated into more than 50 languages.) Today, a significant proportion of picture books are written in verse, somewhat to Donaldson's bemusement. "I think there's far too many rhyming books. And a lot of them - I don't want to sound vain or anything - a lot of them make me cringe."

The initial illustrator for A Squash and a Squeeze fell through, so Wilson suggested her boyfriend, a German illustrator named Axel Scheffler. The collaboration nearly failed at the start: Methuen initially felt Scheffler's sketches were too intimidating. "My little old lady would have been a little more spiky. They said: 'It needs to be more joyous'," Scheffler told me when we spoke. "Maybe I was just too obedient. I should have said no."

Although some authors also illustrate their own work - Theodor Geisel (AKA Dr Seuss), Maurice Sendak, Judith Kerr - few can write and draw equally well. The collaboration between writer and illustrator is less intimate than readers assume. Typically, the illustrator is assigned the text by an art director, and rarely communicates with the author directly. Even Donaldson and Scheffler operate almost entirely independently. "We never discuss anything [during the writing]," Scheffler told me. "It's never that we sit down and talk about it or I make suggestions."

Axel Scheffler painting the Gruffalo. Photograph: Joe Turp/British Library

The work of the illustrator is partly divination: conjuring a world into life from the letters on a page. But they are equally storytellers, adding visual elements - a character detail, a visual gag - that elevate a tale beyond the author's intention. "When you're writing a book, the illustrator brings something to it that you can't really control - and I wouldn't want to totally control how the illustrations are," Donaldson said. Only rarely will she insist upon changes to the artwork, she says, when a character drifts too far from the one in her imagination. ("She is completely in control," Scheffler said.)

Donaldson now works with more than a dozen illustrators. Many, like Scheffler, have thriving careers as standalone authors. (Scheffler's books are actually written by a Nosy Crow editor, Camilla Reed. "I can't write, the publisher was pretending," Scheffler told me.) For a new illustrator, being approached for a Donaldson book is a golden ticket: the "by the author of the Gruffalo" stickers that adorn her books more or less guarantee bestseller status. Many Waterstones branches dedicate an entire bay to Donaldson's work.

The phenomenon is not always looked upon kindly. Gradual consolidation of the books market - fewer independents, and more people buying in supermarkets or online - has, in some opinions, skewed the market towards bigger authors. "Buyers for supermarkets are looking to sell as many copies as possible, so they will favour surefire bankable brands like Julia Donaldson," Philip Stone, an analyst at Nielsen, told me. That means fewer spaces for new authors at a time when the industry is struggling with diversity, on and off the page.

"I do look at the industry and just think, well, they put all their money into the Julia books," Monks told me. "I can see that the experience of my own books being published is different to Julia's. The advances are different, and the marketing budget - I don't even know if most books have a marketing budget."

"I always feel slightly guilty that we are dominating the bookshops," Scheffler said. "I only hope that our books will open people up to buy other books."

Publishing budgets, of course, are beyond Donaldson's control; and her books have been praised for their depictions of diversity. When I put Scheffler's remark to her in an email, she declined to comment, only adding that "nowadays there is more of a variety in the bestseller charts than there was a few years ago".

he Gruffalo's origin story has been told so often that it has almost a touch of fable: how the story was inspired by a Chinese folk tale, how the original draft sat on the desk of an editor at Reid Books for months before a frustrated Donaldson eventually sent the text to Scheffler ("a very unconventional thing to do," Donaldson said) who showed it to Macmillan, which bought it immediately.

In Steyning, Donaldson showed me pictures of the notebook in which she wrote the Gruffalo (the original was being digitised for her website). The book was in her head for a year before she sat down to write. "Normally there's a long time between germination and the writing," Donaldson told me. Her ideas can come from anywhere. Some come from readers. Many more are inspired by folk tales or poems. The Highway Rat, for example, is a re-imagining of Alfred Noyes's The Highwayman.

Picture books, Donaldson said, "are not like a novel. They're really a bit more like a song. Because they're short, the structure becomes very important." Many of her books centre on a refrain, which will dictate the meter. "If it's going to rhyme, it's just terribly important that there's some repeated phrase, some sort of chorus-y bit." She came up with the monster's name "Gruffalo" because it happened to rhyme with the mouse's refrain: "Silly old Fox, didn't you know?"

Her original notes for The Gruffalo are written in a neat hand. Down the right-hand side of the page is a list of body parts: "toes nose spots stripes eyes feet legs tail". Phrases are crossed out and corrected repeatedly. "Who is this creature with spiky claws ... terrible claws ... enormous jaws," Donaldson read, as if it was 1995 again, and she was thinking aloud. Often she will come up with dozens of little phrases, writing less by stream of consciousness than fastidious assembly. She took out the notebook for The Detective Dog, which was similarly filled with such snippets, like collage fabric: "Solved the case, cleared up the case, found the answer, got it right, puzzled it out, tracked them all down, got to the bottom of it," Donaldson read.

She revises relentlessly. The Gruffalo's wings become eyes; "spikes and spines all over his back" become the more pleasing "purple prickles". "She writes very independently," Hannah Ray, her Macmillan editor, told me. "She will do rounds of rewriting and she will only send it in when it's absolutely perfect."

Donaldson is obsessed with scansion - where the stresses fall in a line. That, too, is influenced by her years of songwriting. "A tune won't come into my head when I'm writing a picture book, but a rhythm does," Donaldson said.

"The books flatter you into thinking that you're absolutely brilliant at reading," Martin Pope, the co-founder of Magic Light Pictures, which produces the animated films of Donaldson's work, told me. "Not only is each line beautifully written so that you can feel the rhythm of it, it's very clear how to read it, and where the jokes are."

At her best, as with the susurrous, wave-like meter of The Snail and the Whale, she is irresistible: "And she gazed at the sky, the sea, the land / The waves and the caves and the golden sand / She gazed and gazed, amazed by it all / And she said to the whale, 'I feel so small.'"

he Gruffalo was released in 1999, and met with immediate success. The book won the prestigious Smarties prize, which Donaldson accepted wearing a Gruffalo hand puppet. At the time she was working as a writer in residence at a school in Easterhouse, a deprived area of Glasgow. When Donaldson returned from the ceremony, the children gave her a gold star.

The Gruffalo sparked a surge of creativity and a run of bestsellers. But away from books, Donaldson's home life was fraught with difficulty. Hamish, the eldest of her three sons, suffered from depression and psychosis, and was hospitalised. He was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. In 2003, Donaldson's nephew Gaius, who also suffered from depression, died by suicide. A month later, Hamish killed himself. He was 25.

Despite the immensity of her grief, she continued writing: in 2005 she released 11 new titles. "I was very used to compartmentalising," Donaldson told me. "That's what kept me going all through the years when we were dealing with his very difficult adolescence."

Hamish is present in much of Donaldson's work. As a child, he had an imaginary friend who lived in the mirror. "He would get in the wardrobe ... then he would come out, but he would be Sammy or Lola the cat. For several hours he would be someone else," Donaldson said. "It was all very imaginative." The memory inspired the Princess Mirror-Belle books, which are being adapted for TV by the BBC. Other connections were more subconscious. "I realised afterwards that I had [written] books like Stick Man and Tiddler, which are both about a family member disappearing, but actually coming back."

Julia Donaldson at home with a character from The Smeds & the Smoos. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

Hamish's illness is most present in Donaldson's 2009 novel Running on the Cracks, in which a young runaway befriends an elderly woman who suffers a psychotic episode. "The ways she talks when she's really going into the psychotic episode is quite based on how Hamish ... the sort of things he might have said," Donaldson told me. Donaldson is now patron of Artlink Central, a Scottish arts charity that works with children struggling with mental health problems.

Once asked to summarise her life in six words, Donaldson said: "Despite sadness, I feel very fulfilled." I asked if, to her, happiness and fulfilment are different things. "I don't know," Donaldson said. "I suppose everyone has, you know, some cross to bear. You just have to carry on, I suppose. The books meant a huge amount. It was brilliant for me that I had this other side to my life that I was getting pleasure and recognition from."

ore than 100 books later, The Gruffalo still overshadows Donaldson's other work. "It's always 'The Gruffalo' and then 'your other books'," Donaldson said, visibly frustrated. She often says that she feels like the mouse in the story, who imagines the monster, only to find that it has a life of its own. Still, its success has enabled her to publish more personal work: her poetry anthologies, Running on the Cracks, a book of her songs. "I like to call it a trampoline, lifting up the other things."

In recent years, Donaldson's work has appeared to become - at least by the standard of picture books - more political. She has campaigned passionately against cuts to library funding; she and Scheffler also marched against Brexit. The pair's most recent collaboration, 2019's The Smeds and the Smoos, is a love story between two aliens of different species whose mutual hatred is revealed to be built on increasingly ludicrous prejudices. ("They drink pink milk! They eat brown bread!") Scheffler's dedication for the book reads: "To all the children of Europe." Donaldson, however, told me the book's timing was a coincidence. "I've got notes that I wrote for that story from literally seven years ago," Donaldson told me. Similarly, her latest book, The Hospital Dog, was conceived long before the pandemic.

If Donaldson's books feel timely, it's because their messages are ultimately timeless: decency, empathy, humour. "So many of Julia's stories are about kindness," Scheffler said. Donaldson has railed against what she calls "books as medicine" - children's publishing's tendency towards books with an obvious social message, such as feminism or the climate crisis. "I think now people are doing these terribly message-y books," Donaldson told me. "I'm just as feminist as anyone else, but you know there are now lots of books to show that girls can be feisty." She balks at the idea of picture books as activism. "Even if its message was something I really care about, like saving the planet, I probably wouldn't do it unless I had a really juicy idea."

She is unafraid to touch upon seemingly adult themes, such as bereavement. "There are an awful lot of books about 'I love you mummy'. 'Yes, I love you, too, darling little bear!' I'm not saying there's not a place for those, but there's so many books on that which I think are probably quite reassuring for the parents," Donaldson said. "Most children I would hope take for granted that their parents or carers love them. They want a story where you're not with them, and you're having some sort of adventure."

Donaldson's books are not for children's benefit, but their enjoyment. "Her stories are never twee," Walliams said. "There is often real danger, and her characters don't always do the right thing. The result is that the books are proper page-turners." The quick-witted hero always bests the villain, the brave snail/fish/stick overcomes great peril to find their way home.

If there is a recurring theme to Donaldson's work, it is the transportive power of stories. Several of her books feature libraries, which she avidly visited as a child, and imbues with a quasi-religious power. Perhaps better than any of her contemporaries, she understands that picture books are more than bedtime stories - they're one of the first windows children have on to the wider world, the means by which they first experience fantasy, encounter danger, discern the difference between monsters and heroes. For young children, the line between reality and imagination is paper-thin.

Donaldson's impact on children's literacy, through her books and her Songbirds reading scheme, is hard to quantify, though everyone I spoke to agreed her contribution is profound. "Julia's changed modern picture books," Ray, her editor, told me.

"Sometimes it makes me feel slightly dizzy to think of all the children who are reading those books every day with their parents," Scheffler said. "It's such an intimate thing, and still we are kind of there."

Before I left, I asked Donaldson if she ever thought, of an evening, about the millions of children going to sleep listening to her stories, or learning to read from her words. She seemed slightly embarrassed by the question. "The nicest thing is that I hope that I'm part of a chain, and that some of those children will write," she said. Many already send her the stories they've written. "I got a really good one the other day. Even the rhyme scheme was good." Donaldson smiled. "That's just a really nice thought, to feel like I'm helping to pass that on."

Follow the Long Read on Twitter at @gdnlongread, and sign up to the long read weekly email here.

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How Julia Donaldson conquered the world, one rhyme at a time

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The long read: She published her first book in her 40s, and became the biggest selling author of the past decade in any genre - The Gruffalo alone has sold 13m copies. How did this former busker make it so big?

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Michael Rosen's top tips for performing poems and stories

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Michael Rosen : Tips for performing poems and stories

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Michael Rosen : Tips for performing poems and stories

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10 books to introduce rhythm and rhyme

There's three peculiar skeletons, a collection of dirty beasts and some downright silly poems. These read-aloud books will introduce rhythm and rhyme to readers, through a little bit of noise and nonsense.

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Michael Rosen's top tips for performing poems and stories

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10 books to introduce rhythm and rhyme There's three peculiar skeletons, a collection of dirty beasts and some downright silly poems. These read-aloud books will introduce rhythm and rhyme to readers, through a little bit of noise and nonsense.

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Linguee | Dictionnaire anglais-français (et autres langues)

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Linguee | Dictionnaire anglais-français (et autres langues)

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Dictionnaire anglais-français avec des millions de phrases traduites en anglais-français. Moteur de recherche de traductions anglais-français.

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Dictionnaires bilingues en ligne gratuits. Français-Anglais : plus de 300 000 traductions, et la réponse à plus de 500 000 questions de traduction dans les forums.

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The Nowhere Box by Sam Zuppardi - trailer

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The Nowhere Box by Sam Zuppardi - trailer

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This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen - book trailer

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This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen - book trailer

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I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen - book trailer

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I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen - book trailer

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#ChiBoWriMo: 30 Writing Prompts for Children’s Books

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#ChiBoWriMo: 30 Writing Prompts for Children’s Books

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Write a story about a pet

Write a short, silly rhyme for 1-3 yr olds (think Sandra Boynton)

Write a story about a bubble bath gone wrong

Write a story where they live in a strange location (spaceship, treehouse, etc)

Write a story about how to promote kindness in the world

Write a story about ice cream

Write a story about kids that sell something

Write a story about a free day with no routine

Write a story about a unique animal

Write a story explaining how you would make new friends if you moved to a new place

Write a story about a grumpy object

Write a story about a hair cut

Write a story about something strange happening at the library

Write a story that has a game element to it

Write a story about an animal that is part of the circus

Write a story about a secret door

Write a story that pulls from a fond childhood memory

Write a story on a hot topic for kids (use google to research)

Write a story that has a character with a growth mindset

Write a poem

Write a story about a food eating contest

Write a story about a shocking gift from a crazy aunt

Write a story about the profession you wanted as a kid

Write a story that revolves around one emotion

Write a story about a child that woke up and was all of a sudden an adult

Write a story about a never-ending supply of something totally normal (floss, paper plates, shoes, etc)

Write a story about your car breaking down and having to ride your bike everywhere

Write a story about waiting in line for a very long time (think about everything you might observe)

Write a story about never growing up

Write a story about something random you find in a junk drawer

https://mymomistheworst.com/2019/10/31/how-to-write-30-childrens-stories-in-30-days/

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Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton trailer

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Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton trailer

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1, 2, 3! Michael Rosen reads a nursery rhyme from Honey for You, Honey for Me

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1, 2, 3! Michael Rosen reads a nursery rhyme from Honey for You, Honey for Me

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1, 2, 3! Michael Rosen reads a nursery rhyme from Honey for You, Honey for Me

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 Shirley Hughes talks about writing her first novel

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 Shirley Hughes talks about writing her first novel

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Hero on a Bicycle - Shirley Hughes talks about writing her first novel

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essica Ahlberg still keeps an old envelope on which is scribbled her dad's acceptance speech. He collected the Kate Greenaway medal on behalf of his wife, Janet, who won the prize in 1978 for her illustrations of Each Peach Pear Plum. Janet couldn't go because she had just given birth to Jessica and, with all the pride and joy of a first-time father, Allan Ahlberg finishes the speech by describing their newborn child as "not so much a baby, more a piece of market research".

It was a good joke, and if it contains a germ of truth then Jessica, who is 33 and lives in Brighton, doesn't hold it against her dad. There is a frightening evocation of the perils of having a storyteller for a mother in AS Byatt's The Children's Book but growing up with both parents in a hugely successful children's book-creating partnership does not seem to have left Jessica with any scars. After some hesitation, she is following the path of her mother, Janet, who died in 1994, and becoming a children's illustrator herself. One of the writers she is working with is, perhaps inevitably, her father.

Janet and Allan Ahlberg met at teacher-training college and settled in the countryside outside Leicester. Janet realised she was too shy to teach and began to illustrate children's books instead. Jessica relates the family legend: her mum was labouring over other authors' books and finally snapped when she was asked to draw Simon the Superior Safety Pin. So she asked her husband, a primary school teacher, to write her a story instead. Allan did, and they began a rich creative partnership.

The medal marked the Ahlbergs' breakthrough and in Jessica's early childhood they published dozens of playful and now much-loved classics such as Peepo! and The Jolly Postman. Janet painted in a loft above the garage while Allan wrote in the garden shed.

An illustration from Peepo! of Jessica Ahlberg with her parents.

The "market research" joke was sort of true: Jessica was an inspiration for her parents. Peepo! may have been based on Allan's impoverished Black Country childhood but when Jessica seemed to prefer gazing at the pictures of babies in the Mothercare catalogue as she sat in her highchair, Janet did a series of illustrations of babies that became The Baby's Catalogue. Later, Janet based the girl who appears in Starting School on her daughter.

Immersed in this creative, bookish atmosphere, Jessica asked her dad to teach her to read before she went to school. Allan bought her some Peter and Jane books and also wrote to her. "When I was learning to read, my dad wrote letters for me to read when I got up: 'Jessica, this is your dad. I'm in the shed. Later we will go to school.'"

At seven, when she was old enough to understand her parents' work, Jessica became a self-published author, producing books for her toys to read, complete with barcodes and reviews on the back. As a teenager, though, she wished her parents were more normal. "It was embarrassing when I became a teenager because you want your parents to be completely unremarkable, which is embarrassing now when you think about it," she says.

Her favourite book of the 37 her parents wrote together is their last one, The Jolly Pocket Postman. "I love the illustrations and the complexity of it."

It was completed just before Janet's death, when Jessica was 15. She says her mother did not talk much about her illness; instead, she wrote postcards to friends, and to her husband and daughter, as a goodbye. "She was a very gentle, kind woman. She didn't seem angry," says Jessica.

Jessica Ahlberg with her parents Allan and Janet in 1989.

Initially Jessica studied fine art and worked as a teaching assistant before deciding, like her mother, that the classroom was not for her. In her early 20s, she illustrated Half a Pig, a book written by her dad. Since then, she and Allan have produced Goldilocks, and she has also illustrated his first adult book, The Bucket, a memoir of his early childhood, which will be published in October. She is now working on a book she will write as well as illustrate. "It's probably something that I've wanted to do for a long time but shied away from because it's the family firm," she admits.

Trying to emerge from the shadow of your brilliant parents, or compete with their success, could be a heavy burden, but Jessica just enjoys her work. "Growing up seeing them happy doing what they really enjoyed and would do if they weren't being paid was inspiring. That's what I would take from it, rather than the pressure. I don't feel like I'm in competition with them - they are too good for me to feel that way," she says. "I'll just do it and enjoy it."

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essica Ahlberg still keeps an old envelope on which is scribbled her dad's acceptance speech. He collected the Kate Greenaway medal on behalf of his wife, Janet, who won the prize in 1978 for her illustrations of Each Peach Pear Plum.

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Allan and Jessica Ahlberg on Goldilocks 

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Allan and Jessica Ahlberg on Goldilocks 

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Laura Carlin talks about illustrating The Promise by Nicola Davies

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Laura Carlin talks about illustrating The Promise by Nicola Davies

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Laura Carlin talks about illustrating The Promise by Nicola Davies

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Walker Books - Walker Books - Childrens Books

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Walker Books - Walker Books - Childrens Books

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WALKER BOOKS is the world's leading independent publisher of children's books. Working with the best authors and illustrators we create books for all ages, from babies to teenagers - books your child will grow up with and always remember. So... FOR THE BEST CHILDREN'S BOOKS, LOOK FOR THE BEAR

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Top 5 Tips for Reading Aloud | Classroom Teachers, Substitutes, and Student Teachers

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Top 5 Tips for Reading Aloud | Classroom Teachers, Substitutes, and Student Teachers

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Teaching Techniques: Reading Aloud Artfully! | Scholastic

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Your storytime will be much richer if you have read the book at least once beforehand. This will also ensure that there are no "surprises" that might trip you up as you read.
2. Prepare a Comfy and Roomy Read-Aloud Area
It's important that your area is large enough that everyone can sit and see comfortably. You might want to create a special "Storytime Magic Carpet" that gets rolled out for stories.
3. Introduce the Book.
Look at the book cover together and ask children to guess what they think the book might be about. Name the author and illustrator to reinforce the concept that people write and draw books.
4. Notice How You Hold the Book
Children need to see the illustrations, so be sure that the book is wide open and held to your side so that you can read the story and share it at the same time.
5. Give It All You've Got!
Dramatic and fun sound effects, hand motions, facial expressions, and changes in tone invite children to become a part of the story with you.
6. Involve Your Listeners
Give children a line to repeat, a hand motion, or a sound effect that they can add at the appropriate time.
7. Help Children "See" the Story
Children who are attentive to the visual details of a book are learning how to use visual clues to get meaning from everything on the page. Point out details in illustrations and characterizations to help children become keen observers, and discuss what they notice.
8. Invite Children to Use Their Senses
Help children imagine not only the sights in a story but the sounds, smells, tastes, physical sensations, and emotions, as well. Periodically, stop and ask children to pretend to use their senses to explore a part of the story: "Can you pretend to pet the puppy? How does the puppy feel? What do you think the characters hear? What do they smell?"
9. Develop Ways to Respond to Questions
Children love to ask questions while you are reading. Some questions are important and need to be answered right away so the child will understand the rest of the story. Other questions will be answered in the story itself. Stopping too often will break up the flow of the story.
10. Take Time for Discussion
Children love to talk about a book you've just read. Use creative questions to encourage in-depth thinking and discussion.

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Teaching Techniques: Reading Aloud Artfully! | Scholastic

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Your storytime will be much richer if you have read the book at least once beforehand. This will also ensure that there are no "surprises" that might trip you up as you read. 2. Prepare a Comfy and Roomy Read-Aloud Area It's important that your area is large enough that everyone can sit and see comfortably.

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Article- Hints on How to Read Aloud to a Group

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Article- Hints on How to Read Aloud to a Group

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From previewing to reading with expression, here are several helpful hints for anyone preparing to read a book aloud to a group of children.

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h2g2 - Traditional Children's Songs - UK - Edited Entry

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For generations, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have passed on their favourite childhood songs to their children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. They in turn have passed them on to the next generation, and so on. Most of these songs were written anonymously by poets, who may have had a flair for how children learn, as many of these songs have an educational value as well as being a lot of fun to sing.

Most of these are sung with young children at home or at playgroups and schools or out-of-school activities, such as play schemes across the country, often with slight regional differences. Whichever version they use, these are among the first verses children learn, and which they will rarely forget. It is also their first step into the world of literature, which they will hopefully embrace.

Alphabet Songs

Who could forget the classic 'Alphabet Song'? This song is very popular, maybe because it is the only traditional song that includes the whole alphabet. This is a popular song in the US, thanks to the children's education show Sesame Street, which has been transmitted in other countries across the world since 1969.

'The Alphabet Song'

A - B - C - D - E - F - G
H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P
Q - R - S - T - U and V,
W - X - Y and Z
Now I know my A - B - Cs
Next time you can sing with me.

Counting Songs

There are numerous songs and rhymes to help children learn to count. The following are some of the popular counting songs.

'Five Currant Buns'

This song encourages discussion and compromise, as the children get to choose the name of who goes to the baker's shop, before singing the song.

Continue the same with three, two and one currant bun

'One, Two, Buckle My Shoe'

One, two, buckle my shoe,
Three, four, open the door,
Five, six, pick up sticks,
Seven, eight, lay them straight (or 'Garden Gate'),
Nine, ten, the big fat hen,
Eleven, twelve, dig and delve,
Thirteen, fourteen, maids a-courting,
Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen,
Seventeen, eighteen, ladies waiting,
Nineteen, twenty, my plate's empty.

'One, Two, Three, Four, Five'

Also known as 'Once I Caught A Fish Alive', this was written in the 19th Century as an educational rhyme, intended to help children learn to count.

'This Old Man' (Knick-Knack Paddywhack)

Also known as the children's marching song

This old man, he played three,
He played knick-knack on my knee...etc.

This old man, he played four,
He played knick-knack on my door...etc.

This old man, he played five,
He played knick-knack on my hive...etc.

This old man, he played six,
He played knick-knack on my sticks...etc.

This old man, he played seven,
He played knick-knack up in Heaven...etc.

This old man, he played eight,
He played knick-knack on my gate...etc.

This old man, he played nine,
He played knick-knack on my spine...etc.

This old man, he played ten,
He played knick-knack once again...etc.

'One Man Went to Mow'

Three men went to mow.
Went to mow a meadow,
Three men,
Two men,
One man and his dog,
Went to mow a meadow.

It is customary to end this song at 'Ten men went to mow', but it could continue indefinitely.

Other versions include

'One man, his dog Spot, a sausage roll, a bottle of pop'...etc.

'One man, his dog Spot, woof, woof'...etc.

'Ten Green Bottles'

Children learn through repetition, something the following two songs have in common, as well as counting from 10 downwards.

Although this is traditionally sung as '10 Green Bottles' you could replace it with '10 Bottles of Pop' or, if with a very young child, '10 Teddy Bears'. The options are endless.

This continues with:

Nine green bottles
Hanging on the wall...etc.

And finishes with:

'Ten In A Bed'

This continues with:

There were nine in a bed
And the little one said...etc

And finishes with:

There was one in a bed
And the little one said
'Good night!'

There are regional variations to this song. The following can be sung between the verses, so if you have just sung the 'There were seven in bed' verse it would be:

Bumped his head,
And gave a shout.
Please remember,
To tie a knot in your pyjamas,
Single beds are only made for (then shouted) Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, six in the bed and...

Another version is:

Bumped his head,
And gave a shout,
Please remember,
To tie a knot in your pyjamas,
Single beds are only made for (then shouted) One, two, three, four, five, six in the bed and...

Animal Songs

Probably one of the best loved animal songs is 'How Much Is That Doggy in the Window?', which was a number one hit in the British singles charts in 1953 for Lita Rosa. Another favourite is 'The Animals Went in Two by Two'.

'Horsey, Horsey'

Horsey, Horsey introduces children to words that imitate the sound they denote3, like 'swish' and 'clippetty-clop', which when pronounced convey the sounds a horse might make when trotting along.

Although there is a full version of 'Horsey, Horsey', it is the chorus (below) which is best known.

'Five Little Ducks'

Some incorporate both animals and counting. There is a message in this song about a mother's sadness and worry when her little ones go astray.

Continues with:

Four little ducks went swimming one day,
Over the hills and far away...etc.

The last verse being:

No little ducks went swimming one day,
Over the hills and far away
Mother duck said
'Quack, quack, quack,'
And five little ducks came swimming back.

'There Was An Old Woman'

This next one is a nonsense song; but it is fun and entertaining.

There was an old woman who swallowed a fly,
I don't know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a bird,
How absurd! to swallow a bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a cat,
Imagine that! to swallow a cat... etc.

There was an old woman who swallowed a dog,
What a hog! to swallow a dog... etc.

There was an old woman who swallowed a goat,
Just opened her throat! to swallow a goat... etc.

There was an old woman who swallowed a cow,
I don't know how she swallowed a cow!... etc.

There was an old woman who swallowed a horse,
She's dead-of course!

'Old MacDonald Had A Farm'

This popular farm song can have as many verses as your knowledge of farm animals and their sounds: eg sheep, pigs, ducks, dogs or even mechanical objects like tractors.

Old MacDonald had a farm,
Eee eye eee eye oh!
And on his farm he had some chicks,
Eee eye eee eye oh!
With a cluck-cluck here,
And a cluck-cluck there
Here a cluck, there a cluck,
Everywhere a cluck-cluck
Old MacDonald had a farm
Eee eye eee eye oh!
(As an option you could repeat animal noise from previous verse. After a few verses, it would be a challenge to remember the animal noises in the correct order.)
With a cluck-cluck here,
And a cluck-cluck there
Here a cluck, there a cluck,
Everywhere a cluck-cluck
Old MacDonald had a farm,
Eee eye eee eye oh!
(Optional repeat animal noises from previous verse)
With a moo-moo here,
And a moo-moo there
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo-moo
With a cluck-cluck here,
And a cluck-cluck there
Here a cluck, there a cluck,
Everywhere a cluck-cluck
Old MacDonald had a farm
Eee eye eee eye oh!

'Gee Up Neddy'

Action Songs

These songs have recognised actions for them. Like the songs themselves, there may be slight regional differences.

'I'm a Little Teapot'

I'm a little teapot
Short and stout,
Here's my handle (Bend right arm, and place on hip, to make a handle)
Here's my spout. (Hold left arm out, in the shape of spout)
When the tea is ready,
Hear me shout,
Tip me up and pour me out. (Lean to left as if pouring tea)

'Row, Row, Row Your Boat'

Children sit in pairs opposite each other, join both hands and sway back and forth in time to the song.

Alternative for the last two lines:

If you see a crocodile,
Don't forget to scream!

'If You're Happy And You Know It'

Ideal for group singing around a camp fire, or at school, Cubs, Brownies, Guides, etc.

If you're happy and you know it,
Clap your hands, (clap, clap)
If you're happy and you know it,
Clap your hands, (clap, clap)
(clap, clap)

If you're happy and you know it,
Stamp your feet, (stamp, stamp)...etc.

If you're happy and you know it,
Shout 'We are!' ('We are!')...etc.

If you're happy and you know it,
Do all three, (clap, clap, stamp, stamp, 'we are')...etc.

Travelling Songs

Singing any songs will make a long journey seem shorter, especially if you are in stuck in a traffic jam. A particular favourite travelling song is 'The Runaway Train'. If you're travelling with children prone to travel-sickness, singing may help to alleviate symptoms.

'The Wheels On The Bus'

An all-round entertaining song for a bus journey:

The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep;
Beep, beep, beep; ...etc.

The money on the bus goes, Chink, chink, chink;
Chink, chink, chink; ...etc.

The bell on the bus goes ding-ding-ding
ding-ding-ding; ...etc.

The babies on the bus go 'Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah' ...etc.

The people on the bus go 'chatter, chatter, chatter;
Chatter, chatter, chatter' ...etc.

Playground Songs

Playground songs are a great way for children to interact and make friends.

'The Farmer's In His Den'

A group of children, already having selected a 'farmer', form a circle around him, hold hands and dance round singing the song. At the end of the wife verse the farmer chooses his 'wife' from the circled group, who then joins him in the middle, and the song continues with the last one chosen choosing the next from the verse, it being the 'wife' who will choose a 'child', the 'child' then choosing a 'dog', and so on. The child who is the 'bone' is the farmer for the next round.

The choices can be different, depending on the amount of children playing. For example a 'nurse' can be chosen after 'child', and then the 'nurse' could choose the 'dog'.

The wife wants a child...

The child wants a dog...

The dog wants a bone...

We all pat the dog...

All participating children pat the 'dog'.

Miscellaneous

' Puff, the Magic Dragon' and 'Teddy Bears' Picnic' are also popular children's songs.

'My Grandfather's Clock'

This song was written by American musician Henry Clay Work. It was not written for a young audience, but it became a popular children's song, both in America and the UK. The popularity of 'My Grandfather's Clock' was such that it achieved the changing of the name of the previously known cabinet clock, to 'grandfather clock', and the smaller cabinet clock to 'grandmother clock'.

Chorus
Ninety years without slumbering (tick, tick, tick, tick),
His life seconds numbering (tick, tick, tick, tick),
It stopp'd short - never to go again!
When the old man died.

(Repeat chorus)

'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'

'The Star', as it was originally titled, was written in 1806 by poet Jane Taylor. The first verse consisted of just the first four lines, the repeating of the first two lines at the end being added over time. There are five verses, but only the first verse is well-known.

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.

'Rock a Bye Baby'

Many a baby has been rocked to sleep with this lullaby, which appears to have its origins in American history. Apparently, a young pilgrim boy had watched Native American women bend and fasten birch tree branches, to make a cradle.

'See-Saw, Margery Daw'

The suggested origin for this song is that it was sung by muscle-bound men, to keep time while sawing large logs, using a two-handled saw. Margery was apparently a name used by poor country folk in the 18th and 19th century, and the meaning of Daw is believed to be 'an untidy person'.

'We are Redmen'

An old song, which used to be popular at Brownie and Cub meetings. More recently, this has fallen out of favour owing to concerns over its potentially politically incorrect lyrics - we've kept the song here as a historical record of a once-popular song.

We are the red men, tall and quaint
in our feathers and war paint,
Pow wow, pow wow.

Chorus:

We come home from hunts and wars
greeted by our long-nosed squaws,
Pow wow, pow wow.

(Chorus)

We can fight with sticks and stones,
bows and arrows, bricks and bones,
Pow wow, pow wow.

(Chorus)

'Frère Jacques'

Probably the first French words most children learnt, without knowing that the song was French or what it meant. 'Brother John', the English version, follows.

Are you sleeping,
Are you sleeping?
Brother John?
Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing,
Morning bells are ringing,
Ding ding dong, Ding ding dong.

Other Childhood-Themed Entries

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h2g2 - Traditional Children's Songs - UK - Edited Entry

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For generations, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have passed on their favourite childhood songs to their children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. They in turn have passed them on to the next generation, and so on.

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tips from 3'00 ...

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Reading to Children - Tips & Techniques - "Itchy Bear" Neil Griffiths - ELC

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Tips & Techniques - "Itchy Bear" Neil Griffiths 

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Tips & Techniques - "Itchy Bear" Neil Griffiths 

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reading then tips (9.40)

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Reading to Children - Tips & Techniques - "Itchy Bear" Neil Griffiths - ELC

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From a BBC report on 26th January 2016:

A lost story by one of Britain's best loved children's authors, Beatrix Potter, is to be published for the first time - more than a hundred years after it was written.

The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots, a black cat that leads a double life, was discovered in an exercise book in the writer's archive at the Victoria and Albert museum in London.

Written in 1914, it includes some of her best-loved animal characters - Peter Rabbit and the hedgehog, Mrs.Tiggy-winkle.

Rebecca Jones - BBC News correspondent
After spotting a reference to the story in an old biography of Beatrix Potter an editor at Penguin Books headed to the Victoria and Albert Museum, that's where thousands of items in the writer's archives are kept and amongst them was the manuscript, written in 1914 in an old school exercise book.

There was also a rough-colour sketch of Kitty-in-Boots. The story was finished but unedited and letters in the archive revealed why - the First World War, marriage, and even Beatrix Potter's passion for sheep farming interrupted her work. She never went back to the tale of the mischievous black cat. Now it's finally being published in September with illustrations by Quentin Blake.
Key words and phrases

published made officially available for everyone to read, for example in a book or newspaper

double life
separate life that other people don't know about

archive
collection of historical documents, books or objects

unseen
not seen or known about

rediscovered
found again after being forgotten or lost

in a spin
worried and confused

To do

Try these questions to test your ability to use the words from this News Review.

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BBC Learning English - Course: Upper-intermediate / Unit 8 / Session 2 / Activity 1

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From a BBC report on 26th January 2016: A lost story by one of Britain's best loved children's authors, Beatrix Potter, is to be published for the first time - more than a hundred years after it was written.

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One upon a time there were four little rabbits and their names were - Flopsy, Mopsy, CottonTail and Peter. They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, beneath the root of a very big fir tree.

'Now, my dears,' said their Mother one morning, 'you may go into the fields or down the lane, but please don't go into Mr McGregor's garden. Your Father had an accident there; he was put into a pie by Mrs McGregor. Now run along and don't get into mischief. I am going out.'

Then Mrs Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella and went through the woods to the baker's. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns.

Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries. But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away into Mr McGregor's garden, where there were lots of tasty things to eat. He squeezed under the gate and set off to explore.

First he ate some lettuces and some beans; then he ate some radishes; and then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley. But, at the end of the cucumber frame, who should he meet but Mr McGregor! Mr McGregor was on his hands and knees planting cabbages. When he saw Peter he jumped up and ran after him with a rake. 'Stop, thief!' he cried.

Peter was so frightened he forgot his way out of the garden and lost one of his shoes among the cabbages...and the other among the potatoes. He might still have escaped if he hadn't run into a gooseberry net and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket.

'I'm trapped,' he sobbed.

Just then, some friendly sparrows saw him. 'Quick, pull yourself free, Peter Rabbit,' they chirped.

Meanwhile, Mr McGregor grabbed a sieve and tried to trap Peter with it. 'Aha, now I've got you,' he said triumphantly.

But Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind. He rushed into the tool-shed and jumped into a watering can. It would have been a brilliant thing to hide in, if there hadn't been so much water in it. Mr McGregor followed him into the tool shed. He was quite sure that Peter was hiding in there somewhere. Carefully he picked up the flower pots and looked under each.

Peter tried to keep quiet but...'Kert-yschoo!' He let out an almighty sneeze.

'There you are,' cried Mr McGregor, making a grab for him. But he missed and Peter escaped by jumping out of the window, knocking over several flower pots on his way. Mr McGregor was tired of chasing after Peter now, so, with a loud 'Humph,' he went back to his work.

Meanwhile, Peter sat down to rest. He was trembling with fright and didn't know which way to go. He was also cold and damp from sitting in the watering can. After a while he began to slowly wander about. He came upon a door in the wall; but it was locked and there was no room to squeeze underneath.

He saw an old mouse running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her family in the wood. 'Do you know the way to the gate?' asked Peter. But the mouse had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him.

Peter began to cry as he made his way across the garden. Shortly he came to a pond where Mr McGregor filled his watering-cans. A white cat was staring at some goldfish; she sat very still, but every now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive. 'I'd better not speak to her,' thought Peter, 'I've heard about cats from my cousin, little Benjamin Bunny.'

So off he skittered, back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, he heard the noise. It was Mr McGregor harvesting onions. His back was turned towards Peter and beyond him was the gate, this was Peter's chance to escape! Peter started running as fast as he could. Mr McGregor saw him, but Peter didn't care. He slipped underneath the gate, into the woods and was safe at last.

Peter didn't stop running until he got home. When he arrived at the rabbit-hole he flopped down on the nice soft sandy floor and shut his eyes. His mother was busy cooking; she wondered what he'd done with his clothes. It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight!

I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well that evening. His mother put him to bed and gave him a dose of camomile tea!

Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-Tail had bread and milk and blackberries for supper and enjoyed it tremendously!

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English KS1: Beatrix Potter. The Tale of Peter Rabbit

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KS1 English. The Tales of Beatrix Potter. The Tale of Peter Rabbit - one of a selection of Beatrix Potter's best-loved tales brought to life for a young audience by an all-star cast: Jim Broadbent, Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson and Alison Steadman. BBC School Radio. BBC Teach.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/36904951

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Beatrix Potter 150 years: Five facts you might not know - CBBC Newsround

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She’s famous for creating unforgettable characters like Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck and now the 150th anniversary of her birth is being marked.

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The delightful nonsense of limericks for kids

With their silly rhymes, punny twists, and hilariously cheeky endings, limericks for kids are a match made in heaven. Limericks are an age-old form of humorous verse thought to have originated in medieval Ireland-perhaps in the town of Limerick itself! Usually, limerick examples are found in the form of a five-line poem, with two separate rhyme schemes: one shared by the first, second, and fifth lines, and the other shared by the shorter third and fourth lines. While some funny limericks are based on clever wordplay, these kid-friendly verses are sure to have your children in stitches. You may also want to try some of these other clever jokes like short jokes for kids, riddles for kids, and knock-knock jokes for kids to keep up the laughs.

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20 Quirky Limericks for Kids That Everyone Will Find Funny

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The five-line rhyme scheme for limericks offers lots of laughs. Even the greenest lads and lasses will enjoy these funny limericks for kids.

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A limerick is a humorous stanza of five lines that complies with the rhythm of AABBA. The A-lines in the poem are longer and rhyme together, while the B-lines are shorter and follow the same rhythmic pattern. Most of the limericks are comical and easy to remember, making them popular in children's literature.

Limericks can be playful and funny, and are also an excellent way to develop creativity and improve language. If you want to introduce limericks to your child and help them build their imagination through poems, we got you covered. We tell you how to write limericks and give you a list of 20 limericks for kids.

How To Write Limericks For Children?

Here are four simple steps to write funny and straightforward limericks for kids.

1. Come up with an idea

Reading limericks will give you ideas to write your poem. Also, it will help you figure out the use of rhyming words in the right way. You can even brainstorm ideas related to a recent incident that made you have fun. For instance, ' What if we had wings?' or ' What if your pet could talk?'

2. Start writing the first line

Once you have an idea, you can begin penning down the first line. Writing the first line is pretty easy, as it should end with a subject. It could be a name, a place, or a thing.

3. Think of the rhyming words

Find the rhyming words to the last word of your first line. You can use a dictionary of rhyming words to find the most appropriate words to go with the subject.

4. Follow the rhythm

Weave a story in the poem or make it funny, but make sure it follows the rhythmic scheme of AABBA. The rhythm is called anapaestic. You need not go into its depth, just remember that the A-lines should have three beats, and B-lines should have two. Here's the tone:

20 Limerick Poems For Kids

1. A Mouse In Her Room

2. There Was An Old Man Of Dumbree by Edward Lear

3. A Circus Performer Named Brian

4. The Bicycling Poodle

5. Young Fellow Named Matt

6. Pirate Of Boulder

7. Easter Bunny by Terry Hoffman
I'm in love with that soft Easter bunny,
He's so cute and sometimes funny.
He delivers those eggs,
On his long bouncy legs,
And he sure doesn't do it for money.

8. Star by Kaitlyn Guenther

9. There Was An Old Man With A Beard by Edward Lear

10. Baby Lou

11. Candy Tree Shops Beryl L Edmonds

12. A Wonderful Bird Is The Pelican by Dixon Lanier Merritt

13. Confessions Of A Serial Plant Killer by Cynthia C. Naspinski

14. The Man From Peru

15. Friendship by Steve Mckee

16. The Ball Up High by Abimbola T. Alabi

17. Me And Chemistry Faizah

18. Happy Mother's Day by Neil

19. Listen To Mum by John P. Read

20. Boisterous Joe! by Edel T. Copeland

Interesting, weren't they? Read the limericks with your children and encourage them to come up with such similar poems. These are fun to read and improve your child's language, vocabulary, and creativity. It is an ideal way to spend some quality time with your children, too.
Recommended Articles

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20 Examples Of Quirky And Witty Limericks For Kids

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A limerick is a humorous stanza of five lines that complies with the rhythm of AABBA. The A-lines in the poem are longer and rhyme together, while the B-lines are shorter and follow the same rhythmic pattern. Most of the limericks are comical and easy to remember, making them popular in children's literature.

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There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, 'It is just as I feared!
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!'

There was an Old Man in a tree,
Who was horribly bored by a Bee;
When they said, 'Does it buzz?'
He replied, 'Yes, it does!'
'It's a regular brute of a Bee!'

There was an Old Man of Kilkenny,
Who never had more than a penny;
He spent all that money,
In onions and honey,
That wayward Old Man of Kilkenny.

There was an Old Man with a flute,
A "sarpint" ran into his boot;
But he played day and night,
'Till the "sarpint" took flight,
And avoided that man with a flute.

There was an Old Man of Vienna,
Who lived upon Tincture of Senna;
When that did not agree,
He took Camomile Tea,
That nasty Old Man of Vienna.

There was an Old Person whose habits,
Induced him to feed upon rabbits;
When he'd eaten eighteen,
He turned perfectly green,
Upon which he relinquished those habits.

There was a Young Lady whose eyes,
Were unique as to colour and size;
When she opened them wide,
People all turned aside,
And started away in surprise.

There was an Old Man of the Wrekin
Whose shoes made a horrible creaking
But they said, 'Tell us whether,
Your shoes are of leather,
Or of what, you Old Man of the Wrekin?'

There was an Old Man who supposed,
That the street door was partially closed;
But some very large rats,
Ate his coats and his hats,
While that futile old gentleman dozed.

There was a Young Lady of Dorking,
Who bought a large bonnet for walking;
But its colour and size,
So bedazzled her eyes,
That she very soon went back to Dorking.

There was an Old Man of Columbia,
Who was thirsty, and called out for some beer;
But they brought it quite hot,
In a small copper pot,
Which disgusted that man of Columbia.

There was an Old Person of Buda,
Whose conduct grew ruder and ruder;
Till at last, with a hammer,
They silenced his clamour,
By smashing that Person of Buda.

There was an Old Man of the West,
Who wore a pale plum-coloured vest;
When they said, 'Does it fit?'
He replied, 'Not a bit!'
That uneasy Old Man of the West.

There was a Young Lady of Norway,
Who casually sat on a doorway;
When the door squeezed her flat,
She exclaimed, 'What of that?'
This courageous Young Lady of Norway.

There was on Old Man of the Isles,
Whose face was pervaded with smiles;
He sung high dum diddle,
And played on the fiddle,
That amiable Man of the Isles.

There was a Young Person of Crete,
Whose toilette was far from complete;
She dressed in a sack,
Spickle-speckled with black,
That ombliferous person of Crete.

There was an Old Person of Hurst,
Who drank when he was not a thirst;
When they said, 'You'll grow fatter,'
He answered, 'What matter?'
That globular Person of Hurst.

There was an Old Lady of Chertsey,
Who made a remarkable curtsey;
She twirled round and round,
Till she sunk underground,
Which distressed all the people of Chertsey.

There was an Old Man with a gong,
Who bumped at it all day long;
But they called out, 'O law!
You're a horrid old bore!'
So they smashed that Old Man with a gong.

There was a Young Person of Smyrna,
Whose Grandmother threatened to burn her;
But she seized on the cat,
And said, 'Granny, burn that!
You incongruous Old Woman of Smyrna!'

There was an Old Person of Chili,
Whose conduct was painful and silly,
He sat on the stairs,
Eating apples and pears,
That imprudent Old Person of Chili.

There was an Old Man on a hill,
Who seldom, if ever, stood still;
He ran up and down,
In his Grandmother's gown,
Which adorned that Old Man on a hill.

There was a Young Lady whose chin,
Resembled the point of a pin;
So she had it made sharp,
And purchased a harp,
And played several tunes with her chin.

There was a Young Lady whose bonnet,
Came untied when the birds sate upon it;
But she said: 'I don't care!
All the birds in the air
Are welcome to sit on my bonnet!'

There was an Old Man of Madras,
Who rode on a cream-coloured ass;
But the length of its ears,
So promoted his fears,
That it killed that Old Man of Madras.

There was a Young Lady of Ryde,
Whose shoe-strings were seldom untied.
She purchased some clogs,
And some small spotted dogs,
And frequently walked about Ryde.

There was an Old Man of Peru,
Who never knew what he should do;
So he tore off his hair,
And behaved like a bear,
That intrinsic Old Man of Peru.

There was an Old Man of Moldavia,
Who had the most curious behaviour;
For while he was able,
He slept on a table.
That funny Old Man of Moldavia.

There was an Old Man in a boat,
Who said, 'I'm afloat, I'm afloat!'
When they said, 'No! you ain't!'
He was ready to faint,
That unhappy Old Man in a boat.

There was a Young Lady of Portugal,
Whose ideas were excessively nautical:
She climbed up a tree,
To examine the sea,
But declared she would never leave Portugal.

There was an Old Man with a nose,
Who said, 'If you choose to suppose,
That my nose is too long,
You are certainly wrong!'
That remarkable Man with a nose.

There was an Old Person of Ischia,
Whose conduct grew friskier and friskier;
He dance hornpipes and jigs,
And ate thousands of figs,
That lively Old Person of Ischia.

There was an Old Person of Dover,
Who rushed through a field of blue Clover;
But some very large bees,
Stung his nose and his knees,
So he very soon went back to Dover.

There was an Old Man of Marseilles,
Whose daughters wore bottle-green veils;
They caught several Fish,
Which they put in a dish,
And sent to their Pa' at Marseilles.

There was an Old Person of Basing,
Whose presence of mind was amazing;
He purchased a steed,
Which he rode at full speed,
And escaped from the people of Basing.

There was an Old Person of Cadiz,
Who was always polite to all ladies;
But in handing his daughter,
He fell into the water,
Which drowned that Old Person of Cadiz.

The was a Young Lady of Bute,
Who played on a silver-gilt flute;
She played several jigs,
To her uncle's white pigs,
That amusing Young Lady of Bute.

There was an Old Man of Quebec,
A beetle ran over his neck;
But he cried, 'With a needle,
I'll slay you, O beadle!'
That angry Old Man of Quebec.

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Funny Limericks For Children By Edward Lear

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There was an Old Man with a beard, Who said, 'It is just as I feared! Two Owls and a Hen, Four Larks and a Wren, Have all built their nests in my beard!' There was an Old Man in a tree, Who was horribly bored by a Bee; When they said, 'Does it buzz?'

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[ Introduction] [ Printable Worksheets] [ Example]

A limerick is a silly poem with five lines. They are often funny or nonsensical. Limericks were made famous by Edward Lear, a famous author who wrote the "Book of Nonsense" in the 1800's. This was an entire book of silly limericks.

How to write a limerick:

The first, second and fifth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 8 or 9).
The third and fourth lines rhyme with each other and have the same number of syllables (typically 5 or 6)
Limericks often start with the line "There once was a..." or "There was a..."

Example of an 8,8,5,5,8 syllable limerick:

There once was a wonderful star
Who thought she would go very far
Until she fell down
And looked like a clown
She knew she would never go far.

Worksheet 1: Information about limericks and space to write your own limerick.

Limericks by Edward Lear:

Limericks by Kaitlyn Guenther

Kaitlyn was 12 or 13 when she wrote these, so the syllables might be a bit off, but they're close.

Limericks by Leanne Guenther

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Introduction] [ Printable Worksheets] [ Example] A limerick is a silly poem with five lines. They are often funny or nonsensical. Limericks were made famous by Edward Lear, a famous author who wrote the "Book of Nonsense" in the 1800's. This was an entire book of silly limericks.

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Ruth Brown

Anthony Brown

Babette Cole

Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

Helen Cooper

Beatrix Potter

Lewis Caroll

Dr Seuss

Chris Riddell

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A selection of poems kids love by poets like Lewis Carroll, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, and more.

Many of these poems are especially suitable for younger children and students in elementary school.
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" Antigonish [I met a man who wasn't there]" by Hughes Mearns
Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there...

" At the Zoo" by William Makepeace Thackeray
First I saw the white bear, then I saw the black;
Then I saw the camel with a hump upon his back;...

" Be Glad Your Nose Is on Your Face" by Jack Prelutsky
Be glad your nose is on your face,
not pasted on some other place,...

" Bleezer's Ice Cream" by Jack Prelutsky
I am Ebenezer Bleezer,
I run BLEEZER'S ICE CREAM STORE,...

" Clouds" by Anonymous
White sheep, white sheep,
On a blue hill,...

" Dream Variations" by Langston Hughes
To fling my arms wide
In some place of the sun,...

" Eletelephony" by Laura Elizabeth Richards
Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant-...

" Fishmonger" by Marsden Hartley
I have taken scales from off
The cheeks of the moon....

" Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll
'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;...

" maggie and milly and molly and may" by E. E. Cummings
maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)...

" Mary's Lamb" by Sarah Josepha Hale
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow,...

" Mother Doesn't Want a Dog" by Judith Viorst
Mother doesn't want a dog.
Mother says they smell,...

" My Shadow" by Robert Louis Stevenson
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see....

" Nonsense Alphabet" by Edward Lear
A was an ant
Who seldom stood still,...

" Sick" by Shel Silverstein
"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay....

" Since Hannah Moved Away" by Judith Viorst
The tires on my bike are flat.
The sky is grouchy gray....

" The Crocodile" by Lewis Carroll
How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,...

" The Duel" by Eugene Field
The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;...

" The Eagle" by Lord Alfred Tennyson
He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,...

" The Good Moolly Cow [excerpt]" by Eliza Lee Follen
Come! supper is ready;
Come! boys and girls, now,...

" The Land of Counterpane" by Robert Louis Stevenson
When I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had two pillows at my head,...

" The Purple Cow" by Gelett Burgess
I never saw a Purple Cow,
I never hope to see one,...

" The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-...

" The Tyger" by William Blake
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,...

" Trees" by Joyce Kilmer
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree...

" We never know how high we are (1176)" by Emily Dickinson
We never know how high we are
Till we are called to rise;...

" Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" by Eugene Field
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe,-...
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Poems Kids Like - Read a selection of poems kids love by poets like Lewis Carroll, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, and more.

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Our archives have lots of poetry for you to explore and discover. You can get started by looking for your favourite poem using the search bar below, or by having a look through our list of poets, collections and interviews.

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Let's Explore Poets, Collections and Interviews | Children's Poetry Archive

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Our archives have lots of poetry for you to explore and discover. You can get started by looking for your favourite poem using the search bar below, or by having a look through our list of poets, collections and interviews. Copyright © 2022 All rights reserved. Charity No. 1093858. Registered No.