"Small Hairy Mouse
A man having dinner at Crewe
Found a small hairy mouse
in his stew.
Said the waiter,
'Don't shout
And wave it about
Or the others will want one too.'"
I'm always looking for new books of poetry for our youngest readers and I have loved Allan Ahlberg's writing since our own adult children were just little ones. We read Peepo repeatedly and The Jolly Postman is a book that remains today on our book shelves to be shared with new generations. So, I was delighted to know that he had published a brand spanking new book of poetry and am happy to tell you about it here.
Allan Ahlberg begins by thanking Trad and Anon...that is fitting. The ryhmes and rhythms have much in keeping with many of our 'old favorites'.
He begins with a bit about his writing process:
"I hear its whirring engine
Glimpse its dipping wing
Against the sun-filled cloudless sky
Of early evening
A little flying poem
That circles down to land
On the runway in my head
And the page beneath my hand."
He then goes on to entertain us with poems long and short, silly and sad and often perfect for thinking about and discussing in terms of each reader's own life. There are many reminders of our childhood, the events that interested us, the people who were a part of our lives. Then, there are some things I know never entered my head.
He finishes it with fun:
"A woman to her boy did utter
"Go, my son, and shut the shutter."
"The shutter's shut," the son did utter
"I cannot shut it any shutter."'
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