Poems about Astonishing Animals!

10 hours ago

2 min read

‘Bison Rule, OK!’ is my second poetry collection for children – my first with the fantastic Otter-Barry Books – and whilst ‘Why did my brain make me say it?’ included various nature poems, here the ‘Astonishing Animals’ have their very own section, although as is the way of animals, some have managed to sneak their way into other sections too (keep an eye out for escapees in ‘School’ and ‘Special Days’).

The titular bison insisted that there be no poems about unicorns or llamas, declaring that he doesn’t understand their popularity when bison are clearly far superior in every way – ‘They might not really twinkle/they might not be on trend/but you’ll NEVER be in trouble/with a bison as your friend’ – and I was happy to oblige, but I would love to introduce you to the resident ‘Ghost Cat’ who you might feel weaving around your ankles or just catch sight of from the corner of your eye, and some of ‘Mary’s Less Successful Pets’ before she struck gold with her little lamb. The great white shark was a particular low point, to be honest (and if you can’t guess why, illustrator Nia Havilliard has done a great job of showing the problem!)

The latest ‘Job Opportunities for Ambitious Young Snakes’ are also included, so please do share with any serpents looking for a role as a croquet hoop, shepherd’s crook, draught excluder or baby’s rattle.

Even if you’ve never read a single one of my poems, you might have guessed by now that I always try to take a slightly sideways look at what I’m writing about, and my wonky way of observing the world continues in the rest of the book. As in my debut (shortlisted for Wales Book of the Year), you’ll find nods to where I was born and brought up (‘Things I Learned from Nana Jean’, ‘Chopsy’, ‘Y Ddraig Goch’, ‘Instructions for St Dwynwen’s Day’ and more), poems about the odd things our families do (does YOUR dad wear ‘the dressing gown of doom’ when he’s not well?) and plenty of wordplay and riddles for those of you who like puzzles. I also had a lovely time making up funny book titles for librarian ‘Paige Turner’s Bedside Books’, as these were the kind of jokes I really enjoyed as a child and clearly haven’t grown out of. Paige’s taste leans squarely towards fairytales – as can be seen by volumes such as ‘The Snow Queen’s Palace’ by I.C. Steppes and ‘The Magic Flute’ by Mel O’Dee.

Whether or not bison are your favourite animal, ‘Bison Rule, OK!’ is best enjoyed with the book in one hand and something to eat in the other – so why not settle in with some chocolate-chipmunk cookies (or tortilla chipmunks and guacamole, if you’re a savoury snacker like me), and maybe it will help you to decide. I’m almost certain there are NO autocorrect errors in this version, but do give me a shout if you spot any. I’m really looking forward to school visits and festivals with this one!