Is it possible to tell a tale of love using just ten words? The answer is an enthusiastic yes. And when those words are joined by illustrations from twenty top creators, the results can be stunning. In this unique compendium designed to spark the imagination, Joseph Coelho brings us cherished moments between siblings, worlds where nature blooms and heals, touching tales of beloved pets, and more. Each ten-word tale has been paired with one of the finest illustrators working today, among them Jon Klassen, Jarvis, Bob Graham, Myo Yim, Victoria Turnbull, and Ken Wilson-Max. Together the words and pictures set up a space for creativity as young readers imagine how the story might unravel--and are inspired to pen a ten-word tiny tale of their own. Prefaced by a note from the author, and with two creative writing challenges at the back, this is the perfect gift for all those ready to unleash their imaginations.

With artwork from:
Katherine Child * Fruzsina Czech * Diane Ewen * Jim Field * Bob Graham * Katie May Green * Mini Grey * Mark Janssen * Jarvis * Baljinder Kaur * Heather Kilgour * Jon Klassen * Fiona Lumbers * Steve McCarthy * Rikin Parekh * Natalia Shaloshvili * Sydney Smith * Beth Suzanna * Victoria Turnbull * Ken Wilson-Max * Myo Yim

The book takes its title from Van Gogh's Starry, Starry Night, which inspired Coelho's evocative poem River Sky:

I gaze upon the starry night
It twists into a river-sky
my every breath, a swirling light
I gaze upon the starry night.

This unique volume also features poems inspired by David Hockney's Sleeping Dogs, Vivian Maier's Woman with Baby, and Faith Ringgold's quilted artwork of Cassie Lightfoot flying against a night sky.

Joseph Coelho's lyrical poems calm the mind, relax the body and are soothing to the soul, and are guaranteed to inspire the sweetest of dreams.

With a delightful blend of giggles and ghouls, this collection is designed for young readers and budding performers.

Within these pages, you'll discover poems that can be recited loudly, softly, or in a ghostly whisper, offering a diverse range of performances. Some poems are meant to make your audience jump or send shivers down their spine, while others weave spell-poems that can enchant a witch's cat, or cast a spell of laughter. There are even poems that will tickle your funny bones.

Spooky Poems Aloud is the perfect collection of Halloween-themed poems for children to build confidence in reading aloud and nurture their speech and drama skills. Joseph Coelho's imaginative words will transport young readers into the world of whimsical and eerie tales, making this book a treasure trove for children of all ages and reading abilities.

Invite me in, she says, outside my tenth-story window.

Is it possible to spin a tale using just ten words? In this magnificent compendium, author and poet Joseph Coelho proves that it is--with mini-stories of underwater worlds, demon hamsters, bears in outer space, and portals to places unknown. From charming to creepy, fantastical to mysterious, each tale is paired with an outstanding illustrator, and together words and pictures inspire creativity as young readers are prompted to continue the story. Prefaced with a note from the author and offering two writing challenges at the end, this is an ideal gift for anyone ready to unleash their imagination.

With artwork from:
Alex T. Smith * Camilla Sucre * Chuck Groenink * Daishu Ma * Dapo Adeola * Dena Seiferling * Flavia Z. Drago * Freya Hartas * Helen Stephens * Julia Sarda * Katie May Green * Karl James Mountford * Maja Kastelic * Mariachiara Di Giorgio * Nahid Kazemi * Raissa Figueroa * Reggie Brown * Shaun Tan * Thea Lu * Yas Imamura * Yoko Tanaka

Theo, a seventeen-year-old London schoolboy with a single mother, is desperate to track down the father who left them, whom he scarcely remembers. At school he discovers Greek mythology and the ancient story of Theseus, a fatherless son driven on a similar search. As Theo focuses on Theseus in a series of poems he composes, it becomes clear the two journeys echo each other in uncanny ways. Theseus must conquer his enemies--a psycho Cyclops, a tree-bending murderer, a monstrous pig--while Theo is tricked and double-crossed, confronting obstacles ranging from a search-agency scam artist to a depraved lawyer. Poet Joseph Coelho brilliantly interweaves the boys' stories, following them through dangers, horrors, and false successes, revealing that Theo must be as resourceful and strong as his mythical hero. In a unique twist, readers are asked to take a role in picking which option the heroes should pursue when facing choices on their path to manhood. The two alternating stories, along with stories from the Minotaur's perspective, fuse into one in a riveting climax, as the protagonists meet in the heart of the labyrinth.

A compendium of poetry prompts from Joseph Coelho (Children's Laureate 2022-2024).

*2024 Everymom Best Book for Early Reading*
*2024 CBC Librarian FAVORITES*
*2024 CBC Teacher FAVORITES*

Each fun and engaging prompt for writing a poem helps children discover how to write poems and then read them out loud. This is a book to build confidence and literacy skills through channeling children's imaginations.

This is a book for the whole family to enjoy, bright, cheerful but cool illustrations will appeal to children of all primary ages.

With his third read-aloud poetry book, Coelho focuses on building kids' courage! It follows Poems Aloud and Smile Out Loud, books that have inspired thousands of little readers to harness the power of their own voice.

This new collection contains mantras to be true to yourself, to help you feel brave, project happiness, conjure a smile, make you laugh and cheer others up. Some are odes, some can be said as personal mantras and some are just poems that instill confidence and help children realize the power of their voices.

Reading these poems aloud will teach children the power of poetry, encouraging them to explore the magic of language and foster a love of verse. These rhymes perfectly complement school literature curriculums. Introduce your budding wordsmith to new verse and spark their imaginations with poems about boundaries, handling emotions and treasuring friendships.

This sparky anthology is peppered with witty and charming illustrations by Daniel Gray-Barnett to bring these powerful words to life in a way that's appealing to children.
A sweet way to empower your little one and have them harness their inner power. From a few lines to a couple of pages, there's a mix of long and short poems, making this book versatile and suitable for every situation.

The argument came from nowhere.
It sat huge and bloated
in the middle of the playground
between me and my best friend.

This big hairy monster appears out of the blue one day, splitting up the best friends and growing bigger and bigger, until it starts to ruin all the children in the playground's fun.

Together, they learn how to shrink the monster until it vanishes completely, to the point where they can't even remember what it looks like!

Coelho's gentle and lyrical verse pair perfectly with Allison Colpoys' beautiful illustrations to create a book which will be treasured by young readers.

This is an ode to the power of an apology, and to treasuring a special bond that runs deeper than even the friends realized.

In this wittily illustrated anthology of poems, designed to be read aloud, twenty poems arm children with techniques for lifting poetry off the page and performing with confidence.

Perfect for confident children and shy readers alike, this book teaches all sorts of clever ways to performing poetry. Children will learn 20 techniques for reading aloud by trying out 20 funny and thoughtful original poems by the much-loved and award-winning performance poet, Joseph Coelho.

There are tongue twisters, poems to project, poems to whisper, poems to make you laugh. There are poems to perform to a whole class and others to whisper in somebody's ear. Richly textured, warm and stylish illustration by Daniel Gray-Barnett bring each page to life.

Poetry for children is dead. Really? Not when there are young poets like Joseph Coelho --Books for Keeps

Luna loves to visit the library. There she learns about insects, dinosaurs, and magic, and reads about King Trol and the Siren Queen. But even more than the worlds she discovers, Luna likes to go there because she gets to see her dad. This book follows Luna on a bittersweet day in which the melancholy of her parents' divorce combines with the happy moments of reading.

Twenty five original poems from award winning poet Joseph Coelho designed to be read aloud to project confidence, conjure happiness, make you laugh or cheer others up. Some are odes, some can be said as personal mantras or just poems full of words that you can't help but smile when you hear them.

This is a book for any child who wants to build confidence reading aloud, or wants a way to channel their speech and drama confidence. It is a book to foster a love of words and the power that comes with the spoken word. It will show children how speaking a poem aloud has a certain magic, almost like reading a spell.

Poems can be read aloud to an audience, muttered quietly to oneself or whispered in the ear of someone who needs to hear some cheerful words.

Once a month, Dad takes his son to the barbers, come rain or shine. But when Dad disappears, his little boy's hair grows big, ginormous, out of control--and so do his feelings. A touching and melodic story of family separation from a child's perspective.