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CLiPPA Poetry Award Shortlist 2021

by Sophie Green

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) have announced their shortlist for the annual poetry awards. Take a look at these fantastic works of poetry from the UK's best-known and best-loved children's poets.

Big Green Crocodile by Jane Newberry

Specially devised to entertain and delight very young children (and incidentally to help along their vocabulary and cognitive skills) here are sixteen original play-rhymes with child-friendly illustrations to cover the events of a baby's or toddler's day.

On the Move: Poems About Migration by Michael Rosen

Former Children's Laureates Michael Rosen and Sir Quentin Blake join forces for a personal and uniquely affecting collection of poems about migration and displacement. Michael's poems are divided into four: in the first series, he draws on his childhood as part of a first-generation Polish family living in London; in the second, on his perception of the War as a young boy; in the third, on his 'missing' relatives and the Holocaust; and in the fourth, and final, on global experiences of migration. By turns charming, shocking and heart-breaking, this is an anthology with a story to tell and a powerful point to make.

Bright Bursts of Colour by Matt Goodfellow

What if cats had flavoured fur or if you swallowed the sun? What if you were a special kind of badger or if you found a map to the stars? And what if your home was split during the week: one half at Mum's, the other half at Dad's? Packed with brilliant poems that explore a whole range of themes from the downright silly to the sensitive, this collection will delight, enthuse and resonate with children and adults alike!

SLAM! You're Gonna Wanna Hear This by Nikita Gill

Collected by international poetry sensation Nikita Gill, this is a joyful celebration of the ground-breaking poets making their voices heard in the spoken word scene. Empowering, inspiring and often hilarious, SLAMs are a platform for well-known and emerging talent from all walks of life where every style of poetry has a home. With poets such as Raymond Antrobus and Dean Atta guest starring alongside up-and-coming poets in the SLAM scene, this is the perfect introduction to world of modern poetry.

Run, Rebel by Manjeet Mann

When Amber runs, it's the only time she feels completely free - far away from her claustrophobic home life. Her father wants her to be a dutiful daughter, waiting for an arranged marriage like her sister Ruby. Running is a quiet rebellion. But Amber wants so much more - and she's ready to fight for it. It's time for a revolution.