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The Weirdest Thing of All by Michael Rosen ill. Ed Vere

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 26 Aug 2026

I hear the Town Crier a-ringing of his bell:
NEW POEMS! NEW POEMS! New poems from Michael!

It is indeed a special event. A 300pp hardback collection of new poems from Michael Rosen, illustrated by Ed Vere.

In this beautiful, funny, and moving collection of brand new poems, beloved writer and former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen shares an unforgettable series of stories, experiences and memories of his own childhood.

Beautifully illustrated throughout by acclaimed artist Ed Vere, this is a book to treasure and share – a perfect introduction to poetry for readers of all ages.

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The Flying Machine of Dreams by Kate Wakeling ill. Viviane Schwarz

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 10 Aug 2026

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
ISBN: 9781915659989

See also:
A Dinosaur At The Bus-Stop [ACHUKA Book of the Day 16 Aug 2023]
Cloud Soup [shortlisted for the CLiPPA Award]
Moon Juice [CLiPPA winner]

Almost a decade after her first award-winning collection of poetry comes this glorious picture-book-sized set of new poems for the very young. Strongly recommended for nursery settings, Early Years and KS1, as well as, of course for parents. These are poems that children will enjoy reading for themselves once they have had them read aloud enough times so that they become half memorised. 

The title poem about a flying machine that “can squirt green slime” and has “a whole separate room/that is just for ice cream” is a good example of how good a feel Wakeling has the audience targeted by these new poems.

Who will win the Magnificent Race of the Animals? Frog on roller-skates or zebra on a scooter? Find a morning moon, six ways to look at a leaf, beautiful bubbles and amazing shapeshifters. Have a feast of words, make a den and then guess the names of the night animals…

Kate Wakeling’s wonderful talent for revealing the excitement that hides in everyday things, combined with her soaring imagination and special way with words, make this a poetry book that fizzes with ideas and inspiration for young children, perfectly matched by Viviane Schwarz’s exciting and inventive illustrations.

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Fresh by Rhiannon Oliver ill. Chris Riddell

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 23 Apr 2026

Publisher: Firefly Press Ltd
ISBN: 9781917718226

A debut collection from a poet whose name is new to ACHUKA (and should not have been). We like what we find.

Inspired by everything from cloud-gazing to cat fleas, FRESH explores starting over, nature, expressing your feelings and kindness. There  poems also touch on subjects such as shifting friendships, sadness and coping with worry.

With gorgeous illustrations from former Children’s Laureate, Chris Riddell…

Rhiannon Oliver is a poet, actress, workshop facilitator, and early years story-time leader based in Cardiff. She trained as an actress at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and has worked in theatres such as The National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, and National Theatre of Wales.  

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Life and Breath: Stories by Ursula Dubosarsky

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 25 Mar 2026

Publisher: Roffo Court Press
ISBN: 9780993547386

“The most graceful, most original writer for young people in Australia—probably the world.” Sonya Hartnett

Ursula Dubosarsky wrote some of the best children’s books of the 1990s and the first word Sonya Hartnett uses to describe her— the word ‘graceful’—is spot-on. In each of the short stories in this very welcome collection, the unshowy grace with which Dubosarsky chooses her words is there for all to enjoy. Most of these stories were originally written to order for anthologies and magazines (many in New South Wales’ School Magazine) and set out to cover a particular theme or mood. One of the most dramatic—The Golden Gate (1992)—resulted from being asked to write a horror story. The story that follows it—Poor Teddy (2007)—was written for an anthology of childhood reminiscences. The Birthday Party (2006) had, according to the author’s notes at the back of the book, a more self-indulgent impetus. “The characters in this story come from two purely comic novels I wrote—My Father Is Not A Comedian and How To Be A Great Detective. I got such pleasure from these books that I wanted to return to the world… even of just for a little while.”

It was a sunny, light-aired day, and we walked quickly down the street strewn with gumnuts. I remember taking several deep breaths, as if to reassure myself that whatever had happened to my strong, smiling uncle, I was still alive and was going to keep on living, and that life and breath were very good things.

Discoveries from the past, hopes for the future and the decisions we make on a knife edge that clarify our own sense of self: these elements inform Ursula Dubosarsky’s multi-award-winning novels and are in sharp, bright evidence in these eleven beautifully crafted short stories, by turns poignant, funny, reflective and joyful, nearly always mercurial, collected together for the first time.

Ursula Dubosarsky has written more than sixty books—picture books, non- fiction, play scripts, early readers, and novels for adolescents. Her books have been published widely throughout the English-speaking world and translated into fifteen languages. She was the Australian Children’s Laureate from 2020-2021 and has won nine state literary awards, the Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award, and has been nominated internationally for both the Astrid Lindgren (multiple times) and Hans Christian Andersen awards. 

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Poetry Pizza by Simon Mole ill. Tom McLaughlin

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 17 Feb 2026

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
ISBN: 9781915659866

Has your dad ever filled up the bath with 48 litres of lemonade? Have you ever seen a battle rapping badger? Have you ever felt so tired that you can only think in zig zags?

Welcome to the poetry world of Simon Mole – a place of rhyme, rhythm, and wonder.

The poem on p32

From magical creatures that deliver marshmallows to your bedroom when you’re bored to a cure for the end of day blues, these poems celebrate the wonder of words, the joys of everyday life and the power of imagination.

Whether you’re reading aloud, performing for friends, or dreaming up verses of your own, this is a book you’ll return to time and time again. Funny, fantastical, and full of feeling – there’s a poem in here for everyone!

You can follow Simon on

 

 
 
 
 
 
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And subscribe to his YouTube channel: 
https://www.youtube.com/@SimonMole/videos

The collection is illustrated by Tom McLaughlin:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Small Poems for Big Imaginations by Neal Zetter ill. Will Hughes

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 22 Jan 2025

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books
ISBN: 9781915659873

Neal writes: “My 14th poetry book, ‘Small Poems for Big Imaginations’, is a collection of 55 very short poems to engage the less-keen reader, while bookworms will love it too. It’s the School Reading List’s fictional book of the month for January and, as always, there’s plenty of word play and humour inside plus some more thoughtful poems. This is my third book published with Otter-Barry Books. ”

Small poems are fabulous fun
So I thought I would write this one
It will not be too long I think
Cos my pen has run out of

Neal Zetter’s new collection is an example of the fun, enjoyment and new understandings that poetry can bring. All the poems are short, direct and entertaining. Whether reading with a single child or a group, they arouse immediate interest and are perfect for reading aloud.

Year 6 children in a London primary school foolowed the production from draft to publication: here are some of the things they said about it:

  • “A book where you go up and down and swirl around”
  • “Neal’s poems challenge me, but I enjoy figuring out the jokes”
  • “His poems inspire me and make me want to ROAR with joy”

Neal Zetter is a London-based comedy performance poet, author, and entertainer who uses poetry writing and performance to develop literacy, confidence, self-expression, creativity, and presentation skills.

You can follow Will Hughes, the book’s illustrator on

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Poems from a Witch’s Pocket by Laura Theis ill. Kate Lucy Foster

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 2 Oct 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

A witchy poetry collection for older children.

A hard-working junior witch strides around a magical landscape, learning her craft. Her cloak is stuffed with scraps of paper – letters, notes and lists – some of which have tumbled out and been collected into this book.

Nature blends with magic and sometimes more everyday concerns in these soothing, playful, empowering poems. A to-do list for planning a pumpkin party. A blessing for a tiny tree. An identification spell for a bird curse.

Poems from a Witch’s Pocket is an eerily enchanting collection aimed at pre-teens but suitable for all ages. 

Laura Theis grew up in a place where each street was named after a different fairy tale. She writes in her second language. Her work has appeared in POETRY, Oxford Poetry, Magma, Rattle, Mslexia, The Caterpillar, Tyger Tyger, and others. She received the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize, the Oxford Brookes Poetry Prize, the Poets&Players Prize, the Hammond House International Literary Award, the AM Heath Prize, the Mogford Short Story Prize, as well as a Forward Prize nomination. Her poetry debut was the winner of the Brian Dempsey Memorial Prize, an Oxford Poetry Library Book-of-the-Month, and an Elgin Award nominee. Her collection A Spotter’s Guide To Invisible Things won the Live Canon Collection Prize and received the Arthur Welton Award from the Society of Authors. She lives in Oxford.

The Emma Press is an independent publishing house specialising in poetry, short fiction, essays and children’s books. It was founded by Emma Dai’an Wright in Winnersh, Berkshire, in 2012 and is now based in Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, UK.

As a young British Asian woman who isn’t a poet I’m aware that my perspective isn’t the prevalent one in publishing. I’m very conscious that my reaction to texts isn’t necessarily going to be shared by a lot of people. But that’s hopefully what I’m bringing to the publishing industry and the readers. I’m picking out something that won’t necessarily speak to everyone, and that’s fine.

Emma Dai’an Wright, from an IBBY interview

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Blue Jelly and Strawberries: Poems to Tickle Your Tastebuds by Attie Lime ill. Kate Sheppard

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 6 Mar 2025

Waterstones
Bookshop

“Kate Sheppard’s illustrations animate Attie Lime’s poems so expressively. Blue Jelly and Strawberries is a delightful collection. It seems that from the moment readers step aboard, we’re committed. After all, don’t you want to join in Our Weekend? where ‘we swum we swimbled/- jumped and jumparooed‘” BookWagon

Our World Book Day choice just had to be this first collection from children’s poet Attie Lime. A big ACHUKA well done to her, and well done to Otter-Barry Books too for all the support they give to children’s poetry.

A joyful and exuberant debut collection of poems for younger children. Full of fun, puzzles and wordplay, with shape poems and nonsense poems, as well as some quiet, thoughtful moments.

Packed with delightful illustrations this book is perfect for reading aloud or alone, at home or at school.

You can follow the illustrator, Kate Sheppard, on

 

 
 
 
 
 
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And you will find Attie Lime on too:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Heroes and Villains: Poems About Legends compiled by Ana Sampson ill. Chris Riddell

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 20 Nov 2024

Waterstones
Bookshop

A companion anthology to last year’s Gods and Monsters.

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Small Stories of Great Artists by Laurence Anholt

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ACHUKA Book of the Day 19 Nov 2024

Waterstones
Bookshop

A sumptuous gift collection of Laurence Anholt’s artist biographies, published by Taschen.

One day I got a call from Marlene TASCHEN, CEO of the fabulous German art publishing house, TASCHEN. Marlene had shared my books with her own kids, and she proposed collaborating on a 336-page anthology, to launch TASCHEN’s brand-new children’s list.

How could I refuse? It was a privilege to work with the skilled editors and designers in Cologne, who were deeply sympathetic to what my family were going through. Somehow our loss made me want to work with more love and care than I ever had before.

We called the project Small Stories of Great Artists and together we created fresh layouts, incorporating hundreds of high-quality reproductions of the artists’ works, alongside new features, such as inter-active questionnaires and child-friendly biographies of the artists.

It’s been thirty years since Laurence began his  series about great artists and the  children who knew them. Since then, these illustrated biographies  have sold millions of copies around the world. 

Each story is closely based on historical events and extensive research. In many cases, Anholt visited the artists’ homes and studios, walking in their footsteps and interviewing their relatives. He was granted private access to Monet’s house in Giverny and became close friends with Sylvette David (now Lydia Corbett), Picasso’s famous Girl with a Ponytail.

In order to make the artists and their worlds accessible to young readers, Anholt employs a unique device in which the events are seen through the eyes of a child protagonist who actually knew the artist. In this way, readers are able to “piggyback” through the story, and artists who might otherwise be inaccessible become humanised. 

This volume features the following artists and their stories:

  • Van Gogh and the Sunflowers
  • Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World,
  • Cézanne and the Apple Boy
  • Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail
  • The Magical Garden of Claude Monet
  • Tell Us a Story, Papa Chagall
  • Degas and the Little Dancer
  • Leonardo and the Flying Boy

Laurence Anholt is an inspiring creative. I’ve admired him for years [see a blast from ACHUKA’s past]. You can follow him on

 

 
 
 
 
 
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