Valerie Bloom

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available. Christopher Brown loves drawing. When he enters the local art competition he doesn’t realise that his photo research will lead him to becoming a detective and solving the village crimes! Emerald/Band 15 books provide a widening range of genres including science fiction and biography, prompting more ways to respond to texts. Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.

The River's a Singer is a glorious collection of poems from the 2022 CLiPPA award winner, Valerie Bloom. Illustrated in gorgeous black and white art by Sophie Bass. The very best of Valerie Bloom's poetry including 'Fruits', 'Autumn Gilt', 'Haircut Rap', 'Duppy Jamboree' and 'The River'. This selection brings many of her distinctive lyrical poems, which sparkle with joy and wit, together for the very first time.

I travelled once around the world On stars with flaming tails, And touched the colours of my dreams Along some silver trails. Look out for best friends, pancakes, and Grandad singing; discover a river dolphin, a poison dart frog and the most dangerous animal in the world; imagine a talking nose, meet the Zimbats of Zingley Dell and find the colour of your dreams.

Winner of the Smarties Prize Bronze Award. How much fruit do you think one small girl can manage to eat in one day? In the case of the narrator of this counting poem, the answer is a lot! Count from one to ten and learn the names of some Caribbean fruits, and find out what happens after eating a cocktail of mangoes, bananas and more. Valerie Bloom's Fruits is a Caribbean counting poem full of sumptuous illustrations by David Axtell, the creator of We're Going on a Lion Hunt. The rhyming text will help children learn to count whilst exploring the many fruits of the Caribbean.

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level Poems inspired by the world all around us. Lime/Band 11 books have longer sentence structures and a greater use of literary language. Text type – A poetry book. Pages 30 and 31 tie many of the poems together in a reader response page that shows the river’s journey to the sea, and can be used as a prompt for speaking and listening activities. Curriculum links – Geography: ‘use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to key physical features, including beach, cliff, coast, forest, hill, mountain, sea, ocean, river, soil, valley, vegetation, season and weather’.

Build your child’s reading confidence at home with books at the right level Imaginative, clever and often humorous, this beautifully illustrated poetry collection by Valerie Bloom is inspired by the strange and wonderful creatures of the natural world. Ruby/Band 14 books give increasing opportunities for children to develop their skills of inference and deduction. Text type: A poetry bookCurriculum links: Citizenship

"I Have Found a Song" is a fascinating collection of poems and images published to mark the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. It originated in a commission from Arts Council England for 12 poets to write on the theme of enslavement, which has resulted in a richly diverse selection of new poems. Interspersed with these are elaborate and exciting visual contributions by five artists invited by "Enitharmon Editions" to produce work on the same theme. The de luxe edition of the book is accompanied by a portfolio of signed original prints, and each artist has also contributed additional sequences of images reflecting on enslavement in its many forms. The poets include Patience Agbabi, Polly Atkin, Valerie Bloom, Jean 'Binta' Breeze, Fred D'Aguiar, Helen Dunmore, Bernardine Evaristo, Paul Farley, Jacob Sam-La Rose, Iain Sinclair, Hugo Williams, and Benjamin Zephaniah. The artists include Sonia Boyce, Hew Locke, Shanti Panchal, Chris Steele-Perkins, and Paula Rego.

When de July sun hot like fire, Den I have jus' one desire, To run down to de shop an' buy a Kisko pop. The World Is Sweet and Hot Like Fire published in one volume for the first time. Valerie Bloom's poetry is beautifully crafted yet full of energy and fun. Her mixed use of standard English and dialect is a delight to read and hear. Children love reading and listening to her work! Valerie's subjects range from global pollution, problems with maths homework and the sad demise of pet frogs (he croaked of course) to taking sandwiches to school and being afraid of ghosts.