by Celia Warren (A&C Black) (Hardback)

This is a gorgeous book featuring the work of poets ancient and modern, beautifully presented in a mixture of colour and black and white and illustrated by a selection of leading wildlife artists. In his foreword, Andrew Motion says: “…rarity is marvellous, ordinary things are marvellous too – or can be if we look at them closely enough… This eye-opening is not simply allowed by poetry, but endlessly encouraged by it…” Wise words which work equally well as a statement of intent for this book. Classic poems by greats such as Yeats, Wordsworth, Dickinson, Keats, Lear, Blake and de la Mare sit happily alongside potential classics by greats-in-the-making like Gerard Benson, John Rice, Judith Nicholls, Tony Mitton, John Agard, Roger Stevens and the anthologist herself, Celia Warren. It would make a wonderful gift with a long, long shelf life for any child (or, indeed, any adult). Truly a treasury! TUC