Poems Aloud: An anthology of poems to read out loud; Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett

Joseph Coelho brings the cool and fun to poetry as he invites children to perform poems with confidence and passion, equipping them with the tools to deliver the performances of their lives.

Poems are for reading aloud and Poems Aloud is a joyous celebration of just how much fun poetry can be. Coelho’s fabulous collection of twenty-nine rhymes and verse, grouped under twenty broad performance styles, will have everyone from the confident to the shy embracing their inner performer. Written specifically for performance, Coelho’s aim is for children to fall in love with the genre and to get excited about the spoken word, he wants poetry to come alive for both the performer and the audience. And this he does.

There are narrative poems and rhyming poems. Funny ones and more sombre ones. Some are short others are long. There are tongue twisters to tackle and riddles to resolve. Poems to read individually and those requiring a group, There’s even poems that require acting. With so much choice there really is something for everyone to enjoy. Whatever the poem, the emphasis is on enjoyment, performing and reading aloud - be it alone or to an audience.

All of the poems are accompanied by practical suggestions to enhance performance techniques that really get the performer to think about how their voice and delivery can effect the feel of a poem. Taking on the persona of animals - how would a lion or a frog read their poem?; giving voices to inanimate objects - how would a mobile phone feel and speak? What about a pencil case? Or a pot of slime?; acting out verbs; making rhyming words ‘pop’; using voice to alter volume - techniques known as diminuendo and crescendo; nailing comedic timing and the use of emotions, feelings and tone are all actively encouraged.

​The Chilly Chilli requires emphasis when reading the homophones (these are helpfully in bold type); Speedy Rocket should be read as fast as you can whilst This Bear benefits from a slower pace, allowing time to pause and reflect; The Shockadile Crocodile demands audience participation whilst On the Streets of New Delhi is best delivered as a group. Adding to the fun are vibrant and playful illustrations filling the pages with colour and energy that are a joyous accompaniment to the words.

It is a fantastic resource for introducing poetry and the all important performance techniques to children. Poetry should be enjoyable and fun and Poems Aloud delivers these in abundance. Perfect for inspiring a love of poetry and performance.

Recommended for 6+.