Where Do Wishes Go?
‘Where Do Wishes Go?’ is a wonderful collection of poems, exploring a wide range of subjects and emotions. Some are full of humour, others poignant - all enjoyable.
Offering a variety of poetic styles covering many subjects, the collection really does contain something for everyone. From the first poem, the reader is reminded of the importance of poetry- how it helps us to see things, imagine things, feel things. There are poems which echo sorrows and anxieties many children experience such as ‘Falling Apart’, ‘Grandad’s Leaving Home’ and ‘Looking After Mum’ and these poems might offer comfort or encourage understanding and empathy. The poem,‘Grief’, is deeply moving, lending itself to discussions about how different people experience this emotion.
The collection also contains a range of poetic forms, showing children how the layout and techniques used in poems can make them so different. ‘Animal Riddle’ and ‘What Am I?’ are both riddle poems, but the change in layout makes them appear- and read- very differently. ‘Tomorrow’ is written in the form of a cinquain, a form created by American poet, Adelaide Crapsey, whilst ‘Blue Moon Haiku’ uses the ancient form of Japanese origin.
Many of the poems would make an excellent addition to some of the topics taught at school. ‘Jack’s Mountain’, for example, focuses on a child’s obsession with Mount Everest, often covered as part of the work on mountains prescribed by the geography curriculum. Questions are posed at the end of the poem which are perfect for initiating discussions. But this poem is also a powerful reminder to teachers that children have burning interests that consume them, bringing them alive in a way which might not be seen in school… eyes glistening with passion, with a voice I never heard in school…
Jess Mason’s illustrations are full of life and help to capture moments of Debra’s poems. ‘Blackberry Picking’ shows a bird flying off, clutching a juicy blackberry in it beak whilst her image for ‘Thinking Place’ expresses the joy of lying back and day-dreaming perfectly.
There are so many poems to comment on here- so many to use in the classroom, to be read for pleasure or to inspire children to be creative. I have chosen a few of my favourite that I think would work really well and have written a few notes to offer a starting point for others who might like to use these with their classes. You can find these here.
Where Do Wishes Go? Debra Bertulis, illustrated by Jess Mason
Otter-Barry Books ISBN: 978-1913074395