Poetry and Childhood is the first academic book to give serious critical attention to the
poetry of childhood. It brings together poets including Philip Gross, Andrew Motion and
Michael Rosen – the latter both former Laureates – and distinguished critics such as Teresa
Cremin, Peter Hunt, Lissa Paul, David Rudd, Chip Sullivan, Laura Tosi, and Victor Watson.
All have something new to say about poetry and childhood. They explore:
• the fundamental question, what is children’s poetry?
• key poets of childhood from the past, including John Bunyan, Robert Louis Stevenson, A.A. Milne, Ted Hughes and Charles Causley
• poetry for children by present Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy
• some of the major traditions and forms of poetry
• comic verse
• nature as a central theme
• the importance of poetry as an oral medium.
The voices of children, poets, parents and teachers responding to poetry are featured
throughout and although aimed primarily at scholars and teachers of children’s literature,
this collection is accessible to anyone interested in poetry or children. It is edited by a team
of poetry scholars from the University of Cambridge.
Published by Trentham Books
ISBN-13: 978 1 85856 472 2
Format: Paperback
Published in 2010
