Being Me: Poems about Thoughts, Worries and Feelings
(Otter-Barry) Liz Brownlee, Matt Goodfellow and Laura Mucha. Illustrations by Victoria Jane Wheeler

Children are often more aware of troubled times – at home or in the world around them – than adults give them credit for. But in this time of viruses and pandemics, the adults are themselves confused and concerned about what it all means and what the future holds. So it’s no surprise if the kids might be worried too. This new book by established children’s poets, Brownlee, Goodfellow and Mucha aims to help. As the book title says, the poems deal with spoken and unspoken ‘thoughts, worries and feelings.’ As kids deserve, there is no sugar-coating; it’s about their world and their problems. “Dad’s New Girlfriend” by Laura Mucha offers a helping hand to a child whose mother has died. “If only they had told me Granny would die, I would have asked her questions” begins another hard-hitting poem by Laura. But there are cheery messages and more than a few laughs too. Along with the teachers’ notes at the end, this is destined to be much used as a primer for discussion with and by children.

AB