A Passing On of Shells

Age range 9+

A dazzling collection of poems from an emerging poet, illustrated by Chris Riddell

Scottish poet Simon Lamb delivers a debut collection for children of fifty luminous poems, each written in exactly fifty words, with subjects ranging from family, identity and growing up, to the need for hope, the wonder of nature, and the very concept of poetry itself. Drawing on his experiences as a teacher, Lamb offers his poems as small nuggets of wisdom, warmth and wit to help young readers navigate their lives. Always present is a three-dimensional sense of drama and interaction with the reader, and a sure-footed playfulness with words and how they are presented on the page.

"Here are poems to make you smile, chuckle, laugh out loud and ponder. Entertaining and thought-provoking. Genius!" - Valerie Bloom, author of Stars with Flaming Tails;"A show-stopping adventure! Stirringly heartfelt. I hope it makes its way onto every child's bookshelf. For I know it will make its way into every child's heart." - Zaro Weil, author of When Poems Fall from the Sky;"These ingenious poems are crammed with wonder, insight and magic. Using just fifty words, Simon conjures whole worlds with his precise and playful use of language." - Kate Wakeling, author of Cloud Soup;"With its fifty invitations to write, A Passing On of Shells will leave poems in its wake wherever it goes. Whether questioning the stars or contemplating slugs, Simon Lamb's child-friendly take on the world invites readers of all ages to ask questions of their own." - Mandy Coe, author of Belonging Street;"The joy of the book is the variety of themes and images and styles: you turn the page and go somewhere new, see something new, think something new every time." - A. F. Harrold, author of The Book of Not Entirely Useful Advice;"Simon Lamb's touch is light and the poems skip along. Children will love the word play and humour." - Coral Rumble, author of Things That Should Be in a Poem;"Clever stuff and an invitation to young writers (and older ones too) to attempt something similar." - Brian Moses, author of Selfies with Komodos;"Delightful little poems full of wit, verve and imagination. I wish I'd written them!" - Joshua Seigal, author of Yapping Away;"Magical words are accompanied by Chris Riddell's masterful illustrations in this exciting debut collection. Simon Lamb has landed and is a welcome new voice on the children's poetry scene." - Colin West, author of Nutty Nonsense

Simon Lamb is a Scottish poet, performer and storyteller. With a background in education, he also works extensively in schools to ignite and inspire young learners. He lives in Prestwick, Ayrshire, where he holds the role of Scriever, the Writer-in-Residence at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.

Chris Riddell, a former Children's Laureate, is creator of an extraordinary range of books and winner of many awards including three Greenaway medals. He lives in Brighton.

Age range 9+ A dazzling collection of poems from an emerging poet, illustrated by Chris Riddell Scottish poet Simon Lamb delivers a debut collection for children of fifty luminous poems, each written in exactly fifty words, with subjects ranging from family, identity and growing up, to the need for hope, the wonder of nature, and the very concept of poetry itself. Drawing on his experiences as a teacher, Lamb offers his poems as small nuggets of wisdom, warmth and wit to help young readers navigate their lives. Always present is a three-dimensional sense of drama and interaction with the reader, and a sure-footed playfulness with words and how they are presented on the page.

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