posted on 05 Oct 2024

You’re A Poet: Ways to start writing poems by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Sam Usher

Here’s one for all those teachers, parents and carers who want to help children take that step from just reading to actually writing creatively themselves. So many children love experimenting with language but they don’t always know what to do with the words they love rolling around their mouth and saying out loud.

Children’s author and poet, Sam Taylor, who has been encouraging children to write their own poetry for over 30 years, has come up with a sort of do-it-yourself manual for would-be young poets that is packed full of helpful tips that he’s packed into five simple stories.

All the stories feature Piglet who has a love of words. In the first adventure he’s out with his mum and he’s not doing anything particularly special – just having ordinary play fun. But he splashes through a puddle which makes him shout out words he hears as he kicks up the water – and, lo and behold, his mum says the words he speaks are just like a poem. He does the same again in a sandpit and again his mum says the words he’s kicked up are a poem. Piglet is puzzled – why, he wonders, are they poems?

‘“That’s a poem!” said Mum. “It’s just a few words but they are true words.”’

And at the end of each of the five simple stories there are four pages of tips on how to construct your own poem using Piglet’s experience as a starting point. There’s also some special ‘Writing Secrets’ with tips about giving your own creative writing substance, texture and structure.

I especially liked the way Taylor has structured the book in a way that it offers ways into certain thematic approaches. So, we have tips on how to do your own ‘comparing poem’ or making-a-person-out-of-something poem’ or ‘an if-I-was poem’ and, finally, an I-would-give-you poem.

I can see how this book could be an invaluable resource for teachers who want to demystify creative writing and make the whole exercise fun. I love the way it emphasises that there aren’t any hard and fast rules that govern writing poetry and if you have imagination and a love of how words sound, then you have the key to creativity.

The book signs off with a great piece of advice for writers of any age:

“Write one word.

Then write another.

Write to remember.

And write to discover.”

It’s also worth remembering that you get all this great advice and five stories too illustrated lavishly and entertainingly by award nominated artist, Sam Usher. 

Available from Walker Books, you can get a copy from your local independent bookshop – who will be happy to order it for you if they don’t have it on their shelves.

 

Terry Potter

October 2024