Publications: We Are Poets!
Helên performs regularly throughout the UK. In 1985 she was a runner up in She magazine’s National Poetry Competition and won the Manchester Poetry Festival Slam in October 2000. She has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Bristol Poetry Festival and the Cheltenham Festival of Literature, to name but a few. The limericks, rhymes, poems and songs in this book have been performed in schools by dynamic performance poetry duo We Are Poets! All of the poems in this book are written by Helên, and feature in the original We Are Poets! show or in the follow up We Are Poets Stuck In The Airport! 
www.helendthomas.co.uk

We Are Poets!
Book of the Month, The Poetry Kit
Poetry/Children | ISBN 9780955509209 | pb | 56pp | £5.99

 

"What's the point of earwax,
And the slime that's up my nose?
Why can't I plant a seed in there,
And see if something grows?"

- from Dirt Magnet

 

We Are Poets! is Helên's collection for 7-11 year olds (and their parents!). It features a selection of children's poems ranging from the floor filling anthemic action poem: 'Everybody Everywhere Stomp Your Feet!' to the calming chill-out poetry of 'Memory Beach'. The book showcases a variety of poetic styles including narrative verse, limericks, rap, and there's even a villanelle in there! The poems introduce a wide range of fantastic characters including rock-star silk worms, obese fruit bats, myopic professors and lots of naughty, grubby, scabby children.
With b&w illustrations by Paul Neads.

 

"Helên sets about planting seeds with this super collection of contemporary poetry for children. She is well known for her entertaining and thought provoking poetry readings and school theatre and with this book sets about translating some of her energy, enthusiasm and playfulness to the page. Playing with structure and form she produces magical poetry which shows how relevant poetry can be. It's fun, it's amazing, it's Helên on top form. Some great illustrations by Paul Neads. This is a collection that should be in every school library" - Jim Bennett, The Poetry Kit
"This book of young people's verse will have your sprogs agog with humour both cheeky and endearing. The right side of risky and just a little frisky... You'd be a bad parent if you didn't buy this book" - Gerry Potter, poet & playwright
"A lively, lovely and very funny collection of children's verse in the spirit of Edward Lear and Roald Dahl. There are limericks and structured poems as well as verse that just play with the joys of rhyme and alliteration. The book comes with tremendous cartoon illustrations provided by Paul Neads" - Arthur Chappell, poet & performer
"I love your poems so much, I think you deserve a treat" - Yr 1 pupil at Holy Spirit Primary School, Merseyside
"Year 4 haven't stopped writing poetry since!" - Yr 4 teacher at St. Oswald's School, Netherton
"Your lively and enthusiastic poetry really was a breath of fresh air! We will miss you!" - KS1 teacher at Forefield Infants School, Crosby

  

Contents: Scabby Knees; In the Toyshop; There once was an old man from Wales...; My Baby Brother; Everybody Everywhere Stomp Your Feet!; I Went On a Trip and Then I Came Back...; Burping Beryl; There once was a girl from year three...; Why Fruit Bats Must Always Eat Fruit; There was a foul boy from year four...; Dirt Magnet; A teacher who taught in year five...; Where Do You Get Your Ideas?; Any-Town School Superstars' Rap; A year six girl with very long hair...; I Hate Tests!; There was a professor from Spain...; Vanilla Villanelle; Why You Won't See Me Travelling by Bus!; There once was a boy from New York...; Queasy Calypso; Some Interesting Facts About Dangerous Creatures; Let's Globe Trot!; When All The World Was Made Of Sugar; There was a young boy from Brazil...; Memory Beach; Rock-Pop Worm and the Big Bug Band

Available from the online shop [via PayPal or cheque payable to Flapjack Press], Cornerhouse in Manchester, Forget-Me-Not Toy & Bookshop in Culcheth, News From Nowhere in Liverpool, The Sweet Shop & Edgar Arts in Lymm, Amazon & through major bookstores' online ordering systems.

 

© Flapjack Press, 2011