A Giant Never Dies

Tagged as "a collection of poems for children and their parents", Giant Never Dies might be just the thing for a shared read-aloud on one of those "are-we-there-yet" family journeys.

In this collection, no subject is too off-beat and no poem too long to cause boredom. On the contrary, some poems should cause whoops of delight among children for whom poetry might usually be too sensitive and too 'poetic'. Sandra Elswieser's illustrations add greatly to the pleasures.

Examples /extracts:

'THE HIDDEN ART'

Making a fart

Is an art

The wind that comes to your behind

Has a mind of its own

'BURSTING PIMPLES'

Did you ever burst a pimple? It doesn't hurt at all

The white stuff shoots right of it

To the mirror on the wall.

Then there are the poems about animals, school, magic, a visit to Boston and poems of reflection.

'MY FAVOURITE PLACE'

For in your mind you travel

With the stories that you've read

Till the bed where you are reading

Is no longer just a bed

But a kind of magic carpet

Taking you away

To a land that, once you've entered,

You won't want to go away

A Giant Never Dies by Gabriel Fitzmaurice. Illustrated by Sandra Elswieser. Poolbeg Children €6.50 Age 9 plus