Below are examples of some of the poems that I particularly liked and how I would use them in a classroom;

In een wereld die almaar sneller draait, waarin de natuur dag na dag meer kapot gaat en waarin er amper tijd is om adem te halen is dit boek een soort van medicijn, een vorm van therapie. Meditatie en bezinning in één. Koop dit boek, deel gedichten met je naasten en maak alvast jullie deeltje van deze gekke aarde mooier. The judges said: “The beautiful images in this book were an absolute delight to the eye, and would make any reader want to return to this book time and time again.” 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 This was a beautiful presented and illustrated book, that I will take pleasure in reading to young family members, if ever the occasion arises. January – The Garden Year – Sara Coleridge - I enjoyed how this poem highlighted each month of the year and the changing seasons. I would have the class write their own version, describing what they felt were the key attributes to each month of the year. This could also be used to support the learning of month names (maths) as well as the season, exploring characteristics of seasons both in England and across the world (science/geography).An anthology of 366 nature poems, one for every single day of the year, selected by Fiona Waters and brightly illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, it’s not just about sowing the seeds of a love of nature, it’s about sowing a love of poetry and reading too. 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. 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.

Delve into the imaginative world of poetry and encourage students to write their own with these engaging activities, produced alongside the stunning new poetry collection, I Am the Seed That Grew The Tree. The selection of poems in this book is brilliant. The poems cover a broad range of topics within nature, and fit well with seasonal changes. I also think that the anthology contains a wide range of poets, some modern and some classic, I think this is very important. Furthermore I really like the illustrations in this book, they are very colourful and could provide children visual stimulus for work or just to enjoy whilst reading the poem out loud. I also think the size of the book lends itself to being used as a class-read because it is large and therefore could be held up. 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. 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. January – The New Year – Anonymous – This poem helps you reflect and consider each year as having its own personality. The children could use this poem to support writing their own poem about the characteristics of years that have passed. This could be linked to history and thinking about the different time periods and their characteristics. As well as how the world has changed over the recent years that have passed as well as decades. Science/Geography could be touched on here to think about climate and environmental changes.

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. 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? March – I am the Song – Charles Causley – I found this a pleasant poem to start them month, which the children could practice writing their own version. The winners of the 2019 Big Book Awards have been announced today, and we’re absolutely delighted that I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree: A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year has won the Children’s (Illustrated) category!

Exploring and comparing the four seasons – What happens during the four seasons? What changes do you notice in nature? How do the seasons affect us and animals? March – Paper Dragons – Susan Alton Schmeltz – A fun poem in which children can make their own kites and version of the poem and describe the movement of kite in the air. This could also be linked to history and exploring traditional toys throughout the time periods.Poetry, even more so than short stories or novels, is a deeply personal thing. Therefore, it’s always a gamble to buy a book like this. I’m happy to have found that this was definitely „for me“ and I had great fun throughout the year. It sometimes made me cry (it was an emotional year) but usually cheered me up or emphasized my good mood. May – May – John Updike – This poem was enjoyable through its use of the word ‘may’ in the context of might rather than the name of the month. The children could use this poem as inspiration to write their own version using the word ‘may’ or to explore other words that have dual meanings in the English language. For those keen to introduce their children to poetry, I am the Seed that Grew the Tree is a classic in the making, a book the whole family will cherish for years to come.”

As a little kid, I had several books with „365 stories about …“. A little while ago, I re-discovered the joy of such books accompanying me throughout the year(s).In picture books, Walker publish The Dam: a poignant collaboration between David Almond and illustrator Levi Pinfold, filled with wordless landscapes and harmonies heard deep in the reader’s mind. Commemorating the 1980s flooding of the Kielder Valley, it shows a father and daughter playing and singing in each of the abandoned houses before the water takes them, calling up eternal music on behalf of those who have left: “Behind the dam / Within the water the music stays, / Will never be gone.” 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: