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Michael Rosen: Children's Laureate 2007-2009 |
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Award winning poet and author Michael
Rosen was announced as the fifth Children's Laureate for the
UK at a ceremony in London on the 11th June 2007. In accepting
the laureateship, Rosen, who is the fifth Children's Laureate and the
first poet to receive the award, said: |
| I think poetry for children
needs to be saved from the cold dissection table of right and wrong
answers and put back into rooms and halls full of wonder, compassion,
haunting, laughter, music and rhythm. We need to hear its many voices,
many cultures, many sounds. So I'll be trying to find ways of spreading
the excitement of poetry as widely as possible whether that be through
books, performances, festivals, internet, conferencing or however.
This is about wide and diverse participation. Diverse Verse for all!" |
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Michael Rosen, who will be the Children's Laureate for the next two
years (2007-2009), responded: "I hope that I'll be able
to boost all children's reading for pleasure but also to give a special
lift to the wonderful diverse world of poetry for children. I see my
job as Children's Laureate being an ambassador for fun with books."
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Michael Rosen says: “I
write books, present radio programmes - (if you come from America,
you'd call that hosting radio shows), appear occasionally on TV, visit
schools and colleges where I do a one-man show and I lecture and teach
in universities on children's literature, reading and writing. I usually
call myself a writer and broadcaster, though some people call me a
poet and performer. |
| I
wrote my first book in 1969, it was a play called Backbone, my first
children's book in 1974, a book of poems called Mind Your Own Business
and I've been bringing out books pretty well every year since then.” |
| The appointment of the Children's
Laureate recognises and highlights the importance of exceptional children's
authors in creating the readers of tomorrow. Michael Rosen is
the first poet to receive the award and takes over from Jacqueline
Wilson. |
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The illustrator Quentin Blake
was the first Children's Laureate from 1999-2001, the author Anne Fine
held the position from 2001-2003 and Michael Morpurgo was the third
Children's Laureate from 2003 -2005. |
ODE by Michael Rosen
Something
we should all remember
Happened one day in grey November
When with
panache and pace
the Metropolitan Walking Race
Michael won in grey
November.
Is it really this we should all remember?
Listen to some poems by Michael Rosen
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Bibliography - books by Michael
Rosen
FICTION AND PICTURE BOOK TEXTS FOR CHILDREN
Hairy Tales and Nursery Crimes
You're Thinking About Doughnuts
Clever Cakes
Burping Bertha
This Is Our House
Snore!
Mission Ziffoid
Lovely Old Roly
Oww!
Howler
Sad Book
Totally Wonderful Miss Plumberry
Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy
You're Thinking About Tomatoes
POETRY FOR CHILDREN
Mind Your Own Business
Wouldn't You Like To Know
You Tell Me - co-authored with Roger McGough
You Can't Catch Me
Quick Let's Get Out Of Here
Don't Put Mustard In The Custard
The Hypnotiser
We're Going On A Bear Hunt
Little Rabbit Foo Foo
Zoo At Night
You Wait Till I'm Older Than You
Tea In The Sugar Bowl, Potato In My Shoe
The Michael Rosen Book of Nonsense
Lunch Boxes Don't Fly
Centrally Heated Knickers
Even More Nonsense
Uncle Billy Being Silly
No Breathing In Class
Alphabet Poem
Smelly Jelly Smelly Fish
Hard-Boiled Legs
Spollyollydiddlytiddlyitis
Silly Stories
FOLK TALES AND RE-TELLINGS FOR CHILDREN
The Wicked Tricks of Till Owlyglass
The Golem of Old Prague
The Man With No Shadow
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet presented by Michael Rosen
and Jane Ray
ANTHOLOGIES FOR CHILDREN OR TEENAGERS
The Kingfisher Book of Children's Poetry
A Spider Bought A Bicycle
The Kingfisher Book Of Funny Stories
A World Of Poetry
Sonsense Nongs
Poems for the Very Young
Walking the Bridge of Your Nose
Classic Poetry, an illustrated collection
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