March & 10th April – Riddles – Children could create their own class collection of riddles on a topic of their choice or about an element within the topic of the term. The poems are all about nature and people interacting with it, observing it, fearing or delighting over it. Maybe that has made following the months and changing seasons especially fun. Or maybe it’s just that I love animals and plants so much that this really was perfect for me. I am besotted with I am the Seed. It's the kind of book every household should own." - Florentyna Martin, Children's Book Buyer for Waterstones

Ik wou dat ik een vogel was. Een natuurgedicht voor elke dag van het jaar. Samengesteld door Margot Diederix en Marlous van Mourik. Met illustraties van Frann Preston-Gannon.

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One of the reasons I like I am The Seed That Grew The Tree is that it sums up Kids of the Wild’s ethos. It is a book for children, all about discovering nature through reading, which creates the learning and growth that leads all of us, children and adults alike, to transformation. I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree is a visually stunning collection of 336 nature poems (one for every day of the year) and illustrations that celebrate the beauty and diversity of our natural world. Waters brings together an extensive range of poets and poems to enjoy, presenting the reader with a perfect blend of well-loved favourites and new discoveries. Use poems as models/example for writing own poetry – use nature as a basis, take the children outside or get them to think about their own relationship with nature, places they’ve been, how they’ve interacted with nature – use this as a starting point for their own poems. Author Luke Palmer introduces his new book, Play (Firefly Press) about four boys growing up together, the challenges, the friendships, and what hap...

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June – Bed in Summer – Louis Stevenson – This poem could be used to explore other countries around the world and how seasons differ across continents. For example, the children could write a comparative version of the poem using a country such as Australia as focal point. They could investigate how seasons can have different characteristics or occur at alternatives times of year compared to England. Paired throughout with Preston-Gannon’s evocative, vibrantly textured digital illustrations, Waters’ superbly curated poems offer something for everyone: majestic and inspiring as nature itself.” I like that the poem for my birthday is written by someone who's name looks similar to mine... Gene (Gén). A real Hymn to nature.’ says Nosy Crow of this outstanding poetry anthology and I wholeheartedly agree. Stylish and distinctive but with real child appeal. A book to share, educate, entertain and to treasure.”

August – What is Pink – Christina Rossetti – This poem could be used within science, geography, history, and art to explore colour and where they can be found within nature, across different environments. December – Red Sky at Night – I would use this poem to explore the English language, different cultures and explore old sayings that have been passed down throughout generations. The children could choose a topic and create their own sayings to go with them. September – Acorn haiku – Kim Wright - This poem could be used as part of a science/geography lesson exploring the local habitat and identification of different types of tree. Additionally, used to support writing their own versions of a haiku. We’ll be talking about the book a lot over the coming months, and today we’re delighted to share an early preview – you can take a very first look inside the book below:It can equally be dipped into at any time, be read at bedtime, by season or just by choosing an illustration and seeing what that poem is all about! If using this book in English specifically for poetry, I would use it to highlight the different forms of poetry such as haiku’s, riddles, acrostics and shape poems. I would also use the book to reference when children begin to learn to write poetry and explore writing their own versions (examples of when I would do this are highlighted below). I would also use this in English to explore the different ways poetry could be read aloud, i.e. explore how RAP lyrics are a form of poetry; specifically standing for rhythm and poetry. The way a poem is performed can change the feeling or message you receive when listening to or reading the poem on paper. I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree is a magical book for children and adults to enjoy together. A beautiful and unusual selection of poems boldly illustrated. It is a new favourite!" - Sarah Crossan, Irish Children's Laureate and CILIP Carnegie Medal Winner Nature walk – what sort of things did we hear about in the poems? Will we see them when we go outside? What might we find?

Be that as it may, I knew some of the poems already, though of some we unfortunately only got abbreviated versions (for good reason though), while a lot were unknown to me. That’s a pretty good mix in my opinion. I firmly believe that children who are read to are more likely to develop a love of reading, and those that love reading are more likely to lead richer and more fulfilled lives. A recent BritMums article on the importance of reading to our children discusses this further.You can find out more about the awards here – and you can buy I Am The Seed That Grew The Tree online from Nosy Crow here, from Waterstones here, or from Hive here.