Pause for Poetry: We Wish You a Merry Christmas

I have quite a collection of Christmas poetry books gathered over the years so might be asked why I needed another one. Well, firstly, you can never have too many picture books and secondly, this one has been illustrated by Chris Riddell- so ask no more!

This collection offers a real pocketful of Christmas cheer, containing both traditional gems and more recent Christmas classics. Carols like ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’, ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ and ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, are included alongside Benjamin Zephaniah’s modern classic, ‘Talking Turkeys’- much loved in schools everywhere!

There are moments of poignancy amid the Christmas cheer, provoking thought and reflection. Brian Moses’s ‘Going Home’ and Lemn Sissay’s ‘Let There Be Peace’ make the reader pause and reflect whilst Jackie Kay’s ‘Promise’ looks forward to the New Year.

A collection with something for everyone, ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Other Festive Poems’ is lavishly illustrated by Chris Riddell, making it a visual treat as well as a poetic one. Perfect for dipping in and out of over the festive season, this is a beautiful compilation, a gift which is sure to lay the foundation for a new family tradition of sharing poems at Christmas.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas and Other Festive Poems

Chosen and illustrated by Chris Riddell

Macmillan ISBN: 978-1529086423

You can read my review of ‘The Big Amazing Poetry Book’ here.