For Ree, Tamara and Ethan, with love – V. B. To Luba – K.W–M. Text copyright © Valerie Bloom 2021 Illustrations copyright © Ken Wilson Max 2021 Designed by Arianna Osti First published in Great Britain and in the USA in 2021 by Otter-Barry Books, Little Orchard, Burley Gate, Herefordshire, HR1 3QS www.otterbarrybooks.com All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, by Valerie Bloom or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electrical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying. In the United Kingdom such licences are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Illustrated by Barnard’s Inn, 86 Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1EN A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Ken Wilson Max ISBN 978-1-91307-467-8 Illustrated with pencil and digital ink Set in Sabon Printed in Great Britain 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents FUN WITH FORMS Terms 35 ECHO VERSE – Journey 36 FAMILY AND FRIENDS ELFJE – Green 38 CINQUAIN – At Once 39 Welcome 10 RIDDLES You Are 12 Behind a White Wall 40 Mum Says She Loves Me 13 Twins 40 Nothing To Do 14 Ten Sisters 41 Adam Had an Accident 16 The Pearl 41 Best Friends 18 You Made Me Today 42 When Mummy Combs My Hair 19 RONDEL – Sorrow Called 43 Pancakes 20 LIMERICKS We Don’t Laugh When Grandad Sings 21 Numbers 44 Hide and Seek 22 A Babysitter Who Lived in Nantucket 45 Contrary Carl 24 REVERSE VERSE Time Like a Baby 25 I Looked into the Garden Shed 46 Through My Window 26 SKELTONIC VERSE48 My Heart Is a Volcano 27 The Soldier 28 I Opened the Door 29 Relief 30 The Eye 32 The Wall 33 OUR WORLD UNBELIEVABLE? The Weather’s Ball 51 My Teacher Plays the Piano 77 The Moon Told the Wind 52 My Nose 78 This Would be Perfect 53 The Isle of Negatyves 80 Eclipse 54 Names 82 Volcano 55 Strange 84 Dawn 56 The Zimbats 86 Indigestion 57 Jack’s Mother 90 The Sea is a Wild Horse 58 The Seller 92 Orchard 59 The Colours of My Dreams 94 Forest 60 About the poet and the illustrator 96 ANIMALS The Most Dangerous Animal in the World 63 Piranha 64 River Dolphin’s Song 65 The Hunt 66 Poison Dart Frog 67 The Inland Taipan 68 The Vulture 69 Praying Mantis 70 Roll Call 71 More Lines About the Auk 72 Talented 73 Don’t Do It! 74 FAMILY AND FRIENDS 8 9 Welcome And on the eighth day they knew for certain Bya bya mi baby That she had come to stay, Baby want to sleepy So they touched her lips, Sleepy, sleepy, And stroked sugar on her palm, Baby want to sleep. With ginger for health and oil for calm, Water for cleansing and washing out strife, And the sea whispered, Salt for happiness, cola nut for long life, “Welcome, Chinelo. Welcome.” And so she tasted the world. Then the sound of her name Gave speech to the drums, Made poets of her kinsmen. “Now,” they said, “Like the rooster whose feet have passed Through the fire, You will stay with us.” The feasting and dancing would last All night, But she would dream of whispers from the sea. And when a wrinkled face unwrapped empty gums Above her, Startling her into whimpers, Her mother’s voice was the sea, Breaking in gentle waves over her. 10 11 You Are Mum Says She Loves Me You are the silver in the moonlight Mum says she loves me The waves kissing the beach And I believe her, The nectar in the mango Dad says he loves me The sweetness in the peach. And he’s not a deceiver, They say that they’ll always You are the perfume of the jasmine Love me forever. Winter’s virgin snow I only wish The softness of a velvet cushion They could love me together. A sunset’s golden glow. You’re the contented purr of the kitten The orange groves of Spain The silence of soft midnight And a favourite tune’s refrain. Flowers bloom in winter Warm sunlight bathes the ground And birdsong fills the neighbourhood Whenever you’re around. 12 13 Nothing To Do There are dishes in the sink Come along, I’ll introduce you And they’re begging to be washed, To someone you ought to meet, There’s the mess to be cleaned up This is Lady Vacuum Cleaner, From that banana you just squashed. She makes homes tidy and neat. Come with me for a minute, So you’ve finished all your homework Let me show you to your room, And packed your school bag, I suppose? It is gasping for a visit There are a million things to do From the dustpan and the broom. Right underneath your nose. It appears that all your bedclothes I wonder why Mum Have been fighting with your bed, Has to get in such a stew And that plate of old spaghetti When I tell her that I’m bored I am sure has long been dead. And there’s nothing here to do. There’s a curtain of old cobwebs Stretched across your bedroom wall, And muddy wellies do not add To the decor in the hall. Did you say that you’ve gone out And got yourself a maid? Then who is going to clear up That spilt cake and orangeade? 14 15 Adam Had an Accident When Adam had an accident Quinine, said Quentin, Rosemary, said Rose, (he fell and hurt his arm), A saffron salad, said Sally. Bernie brought a bottle, Tansy’s best, said Tilly-Ann, Try some of this lemon balm. I saw that on the telly. Carol said, No, that won’t do, Ulmus Fulvus, said Umberto. he needs some camomile. They all cried, What’s that? That arm will need the doctor, Not really sure, but I saw Dennis said with a wry smile. Dad use it on the cat. Ellie said, Evening primrose The very best is vervain, on the cut will give some ease. or valerian, said Vance. Freddy waved a fennel bulb, Wendy frowned and looked around. saying, Can you let him try this, please? Is there wormwood by any chance? Grace held aloft some ginger root. Xylopia, said Xara, This will kill the germs. who was taking Latin at school, Harry said, Heart’s ease is best, Ylang-ylang on his head, said Yuan, in no uncertain terms. will soothe and keep him cool. Ian brought an iris, saying, Zingiber, said Zavier. I think that this will do. That’s just ginger, someone said. Janet picked some juniper berries. Put these in his shoe. Meanwhile Adam left them arguing Karen said, My mum’s kale chips, and hurried home to bed! They are the perfect mender. I know what will revive him best, Said Lionel, that’s lavender. Mint, said Marcy, Neem, said Neil, Raw onions, said young Orville. Plantain’s good for cuts, said Paul, but perhaps he needs a large pill. 16 17 Best Friends When Mummy Combs my Hair If you were a soldier and I were your enemy She tugs and pulls and twists and yanks, I wouldn’t fight you My hair sticks to the comb in hanks, If you were a deer and I were a lion I wouldn’t bite you She yanks and tugs and pulls and twists, My hair falls to the floor in bits, If you were a fish and I were a net I wouldn’t catch you She twists and yanks and tugs and pulls, If you were a bone and I were a dog Hair’s on the floor in large handfuls, I wouldn’t snatch you She pulls and twists and yanks and tugs, If you were a fly and I were a swatter Looks at my bald head, calmly shrugs. I wouldn’t kill you If you were water and I were a carrier She thinks that I won’t mind at all, I wouldn’t spill you Because I’m just a little doll. If you were a cup I’d be a saucer And let you rest on me And we will be best friends from now Until eternity. 18 19 We Don’t Laugh When Pancakes Grandad Sings When Grandad sings he shuts his eyes, My brother made some pancakes Screws up his face, points to the skies. Last night for our tea, His mouth and nostrils open wide, But when we’d eaten the whole lot His hips start moving side to side. We were all still hungry. He does the most outrageous things, We’d each had half a pancake But we don’t laugh when Grandad sings. So we looked around for more, And we found them on the ceiling When Grandad sings he stamps the floor, And on the kitchen floor. He slaps his hands against the door As if he’s playing a big bass drum, He jerks his shoulders, shakes his bum. He does the most outrageous things, But we don’t laugh when Grandad sings. When Grandad sings the whole house shakes, The plates all rattle, the baby wakes, The cat flies yowling up the stairs, Grandma says, “Quick, cover your ears!” He does the most outrageous things, But we don’t laugh when Grandad sings. Grandad’s feelings would be hurt If we should greet his songs with mirth, He’d go quiet, he’d look dejected And all of us would be affected.