Roger McGough

'The patron saint of poetry' Carol Ann Duffy For sixty years, Roger McGough has thrilled and delighted generations of readers with his irreverent, intimate and ever-original poetry. The Collected Poems presents the definitive selection of his very best work, from the Mersey-soaked sound of his quintessential Sixties start, through to tender meditations on fatherhood and family, and on to political sendups, pandemic playfulness and brilliant new writing. Here, then, is an unmatched store of warmth, wisdom and feeling from Britain's most beloved poet.'McGough has done for poetry what champagne does for weddings' Time Out

Cats and dogs and elephants Slugs, leopards and lice Giraffes and armadillos Buffaloes, bedbugs and mice. . . Fish will be able to fend for themselves and besides, a wooden ark is not the sort of place to keep a whale or angry shark Find out why Noah builds a floating zoo and saves the animals in this world-famous story, retold by one of world’s favourite poets. This amusing take on an age-old tale will delight children aged 4-8, as will the charming illustrations on every page. Grown-ups will also find this fun-filled and light-hearted version of Noah's adventure a refreshing change from the more traditional retellings currently on offer.

Ever see an anaconda drive through town on a brand new Honda? Don't ask him for a ride. You might end up inside. From the Allivator to the Zonk, here are seventy-two gloriously witty poems that young readers will love and return to again and again. Real and imaginary animals, from newts with flutes to boisterous baboons in hot-air balloons, crowd Roger McGough's celebrated collection, now in a new edition for a new generation. Rich in invention, wordplay, and humour, with Roger's own delightful, quirky illustrations.

A brand new collection for children from beloved poet, writer and broadcaster - Roger McGoughJust when you are ready to write your first poem, along come the words and cause mayhem! 'Poems can be like that sometimes,' says Roger McGough.Here Roger's witty poems take you from school and home to places far and wide, and back again just in time to finish the poem you first started.

This is not the time for adultery.Your lover will fail to be impressed,not so much by the face maskand stale musk of sanitizing gel,but your flouting of the rules.At once funny and moving, Safety in Numbers is the new collection from the nation's favourite poet. Traversing new yet timeless terrain with his signature wit and intimacy, Roger McGough brings to life the very strangeness of our timesFrom lost tongues and violins to rising oceans, from adulterers in lockdown to ghosts in line, we may live in dark times and yet find ourselves laughing. From surprising angles and with unexpected voices, McGough, 'a trickster you can trust', reveals the telling moments of our lives._______________PRAISE FOR ROGER MCGOUGH'A witty and ingenious chronicler of British life with a deftness and agility that is hard to beat' Poetry Society'The patron saint of poetry' Carol Ann Duffy 'McGough has done for poetry what champagne does for weddings' Time Out

From traditional verses by Christina Rossetti and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to modern classics by Carol Ann Duffy, Steve Turner and Benjamin Zephaniah, this dazzling anthology of Christmas poems will delight children and adults of all ages. All the wonders of the season are captured in 100 Best Christmas Poems for Children. Perfect for reading aloud with all the family, there are verses that will encourage children to reflect on the Christmas themes of joy, hope and peace for all the world, while also savouring the festive fun of everything else that Christmas brings - from the opening of the first Advent window to the tidying away of all the decorations on Twelfth Night. Edited and introduced by beloved poet Roger McGough, this enchanting children's poetry book make a wonderful gift and keepsake and will be cherished by all who read it. Children will gain an appreciation for language and storytelling as the magic of Christmas is brought to life by this anthology that they'll return to over and over again each year.

From traditional verses by Christina Rossetti and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to modern classics by Carol Ann Duffy, Steve Turner and Benjamin Zephaniah, this dazzling anthology of Christmas poems will delight children and adults of all ages.All the wonders of the season are captured in 100 Best Christmas Poems for Children. Perfect for reading aloud with all the family or for children aged 8-12 to read to themselves, there are verses that will encourage you to reflect on the Christmas themes of joy, hope and peace for all the world, while also savouring the festive fun of everything else that Christmas brings - from the opening of the first Advent window to the tidying away of all the decorations on Twelfth Night.Edited and introduced by beloved poet Roger McGough, this enchanting children's poetry book make a wonderful gift and keepsake and will be cherished by all who read it. Children will gain an appreciation for language and storytelling as the magic of Christmas is brought to life by this anthology that they'll return to over and over again each year.

A witty and mischievous tale inspired by The Wind in the Willows, from renowned poet Roger McGough.Mr Toad has a shiny gold coin. He gives it to Miss Mole to pay for a room in her hotel. Now Miss Mole can pay Sam Stoat for painting the hotel, and Sam Stoat can pay back Mr Badger ... until the coin might just end up back where it started! From renowned poet Roger McGough and Kate Greenaway Medal winner Mini Grey, this is an inspired and witty tale featuring beloved characters from The Wind in the Willows.

The crocodile said to the chimpanzee, “Chimpanzee, I want to be free. The jungle jangle’s not for me.” Crocodile says goodbye to the jungle and heads for the bright lights of London to find freedom and adventure. But despite the famous sights, city life on a stone-cold street begins to pall... Will crocodile tears become real tears for friends, family and home? A fantastic picture book for reading aloud by poetry legend Roger McGough and award-winning animator Greg McLeod.

A witty and mischievous tale inspired by The Wind in the Willows, from renowned poet Roger McGough.Mr Toad has a shiny gold coin. He gives it to Miss Mole to pay for a room in her hotel. Now Miss Mole can pay Sam Stoat for painting the hotel, and Sam Stoat can pay back Mr Badger ... until the coin might just end up back where it started! From renowned poet Roger McGough and Kate Greenaway Medal winner Mini Grey, this is an inspired and witty tale featuring beloved characters from The Wind in the Willows.

'The patron saint of poetry' Carol Ann Duffy'McGough is a true original and more than one generation would be much the poorer without him' The Times_______________For fifty years, Roger McGough has delighted readers with poetry that is at once playful and poignant, intimate and universal. In his latest collection, he explores the whole gamut of the human experience, from forgotten friendships and family life, to the trauma of war and contemporary politics, wittily showing us who we are in all our shades of light and dark. _______________'McGough has done for poetry what champagne does for weddings' Time out 'Memorable and enduring and fresh. Age has not withered [his lines] nor diminished their potency. Of how much modern poetry can you say that?' Sunday Herald 'McGough's trademarks: the craft worn as lightly as the crown, the jokes that are something more, the underlying heartache, the acute sense of the way time slips away' Poetry Review

Poems to make you smile! Critically acclaimed poet Roger McGough has drawn together a fantastic collection of upbeat poems to bring happiness into your day with this uplifting collection Happy Poems.Perfect for happy children or those needing a little cheer, Roger reminds us that happiness can be found all around us in the everyday, in family, in books in nature and, of course, in our pets! Includes gems from the very best classic and contemporary poets, such as John Agard, Adrian Henri, Brian Patten, Carol Ann Duffy, Joseph Coelho, William Wordsworth and William Blake.

There are eighty of Roger McGough's wonderful poems in this hugely enjoyable collection, gathered into a new volume to celebrate Roger's 80th birthday! The poems have been specially chosen to reflect Roger's unique sense of humour, his wit and wisdom and sharp observations on all aspects of life. New, quirky illustrations by the author himself add further enjoyment!

POETRY PIE is a brilliant collection of poems for children by Roger McGough.There are over 50 poems in this hugely enjoyable poetry collection with themes ranging from food and animals to school and ghouls. As always, Roger McGough's poems are full of wit and wisdom, with word play, puns and sharp observations on all aspects of life. Illustrated throughout with his own unique line drawings which are full of humour and pathos. Roger McGough is one of the UK's most celebrated and distinctive poets. He is the author of more than fifty books and has written numerous scripts, including the script for the Beatles' film Yellow Submarine. He is an international ambassador for poetry and in 1997 was awarded an OBE.

Midge and friends are off on another laugh-out-loud adventure in this celebration of childhood mischief, from national treasure Roger McGough. Midge and co. are back! And this time there's a brand new four-legged friend in tow. New Dog needs a name and the boys need an adventure, so what are the three to do but sort it out themselves – there will be rescue missions, viking attacks and buried treasuregalore before the week is out. Particularly suitable for readers aged 7+ with a reading age of 7.

Laugh-out-loud adventures of childhood high jinks. Midge and his best friend are always getting up to all sorts of mischief – join them as they embark on some mad-cap adventures and discover what is so dastardly about Wednesdays… From national treasure Roger McGough. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 7+ Laugh-out-loud adventures of childhood high jinks and rascality. Midge and his friend are always getting up to all sorts of mischief. They live in Liverpool, but have grand ideas of running away to sea – but no one believes that they could manage such a courageous feat! Well, they'll show them. But when big sisters get involved, there's no telling how far their mischief will take them …Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 7+

It Never Rains by Roger McGough - an expanded edition of comic verse and free line drawings, from the nation's favourite poetWhile up at MagdalenSpent the time dagdalen.Moved on to CaiusBecame the baius knaius.'Oxford Blues' is one of the many new poems in this expanded and revised edition of The State of Poetry, Roger McGough's book of short humorous verse which was published in 2005 as part of Penguin's 70s series celebrating its 70th anniversary. From a poem commissioned to commemorate Dylan Thomas in just 140 characters, which unfortunately comes to an end mid-word, to a pre-emptive erratum notice, these poems show McGough at his inventive, hilarious best - and there are also new line drawings by the author offered at no extra cost.'The patron saint of poetry' Carol Ann DuffyRoger McGough was a member of the group Scaffold in the 1960s when he contributed poems to the Penguin title The Mersey Sound, which has since sold over a million copies and is now available as a Penguin Classic. He has published many books of poems for children and adults, and both his Collected Poems (2004) and Selected Poems (2006) are also available in Penguin. He presents Poetry Please on Radio 4 and is President of the Poetry Society. He was honoured with the Freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2001 and with a CBE in 2005 for services to literature.

A collection of poems by Roger McGough and Christina Rosetti. At Key Stage 2 Wordsmith gives you 'single voice' collections of poetry. This approach enables children to familiarise themselves with the poets as individuals, learning about their lives and inspirations to help bring their work to life.

BBC Radio 4's Poetry Please is the longest-running broadcast of verse anywhere in the world. First aired in 1979, the programme, a request show which broadcasts to two million listeners a week, has become a unique record of the country's best-loved poems over the decades since its inception. The BBC has looked back through its rich archive of recordings to produce a poll of the most asked for and most broadcast pieces ever: it is those poems that this anthology brings together here. A showcase, in effect, for the nation's favourite verse, Poetry Please is a treasure trove for our most requested and most listened to poems of all time. It is a compelling invitation for readers of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate the verse that we care so much about: from new readers to old, from schools to reading groups, this a book for giving, a book for cherishing.

Take comfort from this You have a book in your hand not a loaded gun or a parking fine or an invitation card to the wedding of the one you should have marriedRoger McGough's new book of poems shows him writing as fluently and inventively as ever. There may be a stronger strain of melancholy than before (the death of a regular in the local pub; the news that a daughter might be moving abroad), as well as a distinct sense of menace, small but insistent, which inhabits many of the poems. But there is plenty of McGough's characteristic wit and wordplay too, including a scintillating series of haiku inspired by a London tube strike and a striking reworking of his famous 1960s poem 'Let Me Die a Youngman's Death', this time entitled 'Not For Me a Youngman's Death'. Who but McGough would characterize the butcher's window as 'the friendly face of the abattoir', or imagine the almost limitless ways in which we might go to bed?A new book of poems by Roger McGough is always an event. Published just ahead of his 75th birthday, As Far As I Know is truly cause for celebration.'The patron saint of poetry' Carol Ann DuffyRoger McGough was born in Liverpool. During the 1960s he was a member of the group Scaffold which had an international hit with 'Lily the Pink'. He has won two BAFTAs and a Royal Television Award for his broadcasting work, and presents the popular Radio 4 programme Poetry Please. He has published many books of poems for adults and children, and both his Collected Poems (2003) and Selected Poems (2006) are bestselling poetry titles on the Penguin list. He was made a Freeman of the City of Liverpool in 2001, and received a CBE in 2004 for his services to literature.