Catalysts. Poems for Writing by Pie Corbett (pub: Talk for Writing)

This is a brilliant book. Brilliant on two counts. Firstly it is full of Pie Corbett’s fantastic poems. They take us into a world where alleyways creep into darkness; the moon is a silver thumbprint; umbrellas are mistaken for bony swans; in the night museum, a dodo opens one beady eye and shakes its dusty feathers.

Secondly, Pie uses his work to give us ideas for writing our own poems. From quite detailed instructions which will help us to hold the hand of a child or a less-confident writer, to ideas that even a seasoned poet would find useful. It contains over a hundred models for writing, all of them tried and tested in workshops. It is a book written with heart

In my time as a children’s poet I have read many, many books written to help teachers teach poetry, and to help children and poets write creatively. This is one of the very best.

Roger Stevens