Ella's selection is wide-ranging but accessible and will appeal to poetry lovers both young and old alike. I very much enjoyed reading her introduction and afterword where the reader will find much encouragement for equality and acceptance of women (including those who identify as female) and the much-needed level pegging of poetry along side fiction and non-fiction literature. The Editor at Nosy Crow says: “Poetry always needs champions and Ella Risbridger is a modern-day Boudicca. Ella’s skilful selection includes poems to make you think, poems to make you hope and poems that might just make you act, too. It was named a Book Of The Year 2019 by half a dozen publications, including The Times, The Daily Mail, and The Observer.

She encourages readers to follow in her footsteps and adore poetry, to re-read poems again and again, and find something new each time, and to even make anthologies of their own.As a DJ might have to find the perfect track to get everyone onto the dance floor, this is our metaphorical 'banger' to kick off the poetry party!

Taking poetry as a filter for art and personal expression, readers are encouraged what they love about a poem they have read, who wrote it, why, why did it strike a chord. Within her introduction, she tells us of the origin of her love of poetry after her beloved Granny had shared a poetry book with her when she was a young child. From well-loved poets, including Maya Angelou, Wendy Cope, Lucille Clifton and Christina Rossetti, to newer voices such as Amanda Gorman, Yrsa-Daley Ward and Amineh Abou Kerech, this collection from anthologist Ella Risbridger has poems for every mood and every moment. Ella’s selection is wide-ranging but accessible and will appeal to poetry lovers both young and old alike. I first came across this anthology's curator, author Ella Risbridger, last year due to the success of her first kids middle grade book 'The Secret Detectives' (also published by Nosy Crow).Her illustrations are simply stunning, beautiful, captivating, magical, worldly and as such so intelligently and thoughtfully compliment each poem. She goes on to paint a picture of the oppression of women and their creative talents, and especially their lack of equal rights to men.

Ella Risbridger’s collection of old and new poems has been carefully chosen to grow a love of poetry in all reader’s hearts while Anna Shepta’s illustrations capture the mood of each perfectly. This is the third in the Nosy Crow series of their big and beautiful poetry anthologies (see below for links) and it is a glorious celebration of female poetry writing. A forceful, passionate and uplifting collection of poems by women and girls that is guaranteed to inspire, delight and empower. Nosy Crow publish some beautiful children's books designed to be treasured for a lifetime and this is no exception.Previous The Royal Rebel : The Life of Suffragette Princess Sophia Duleep Singh by Bali Rai, illustrated by Rachael Dean Next Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. Within the 141 pages of this very special book are poems you are asked to read very quickly ('Comet' by Kate Wakeling), or sing to a popular nursery rhyme tune ('Sing a Song of People' by Lois Lenski), ones about school ('Getting Ready for School' by Caryl Brahms or 'Mrs Hamilton's Register' by Carol Ann Duffy); there are poems by young children about God, and poems to interact with ('How to Eat a Poem' by Eve Merriam). Nikita Gill's words are absolutely a pure delight as a segue way to remind the reader that men, women, and 'everyone in-between' are to be treated equally. She sheds light on the theory that many poems written by 'Anon' or 'Anonymous' in times past were most likely written by women - I had never considered this! From well-loved poets, including Maya Angelou, Wendy Cope, Lucille Clifton and Christina Rossetti, to newer voices such as Amanda Gorman, Yrsa Daley-Ward and Ada Limon, this outstanding collection from talented anthologist Ella Risbridger has poems for every mood and every moment.

The absolutely stunning artwork leaps out at you from the bookshelf and the end papers are filled with carefully considered doodles representing many of the 'characters' from within the book.Think of these poems not like still pictures, but more like doors: things you can push on, and that will open on to other things. Covering a range of emotions and capturing a number of important ‘life’ moments, each of the poems in this collection will make as a strong an impact on readers of all ages.