Packed with humor and heart, showcasing top illustrators, and joyfully celebrating a life well lived, this ultimate gift collection of Michael Rosen’s poems marks the occasion of the beloved poet and author’s eightieth birthday.
Divided into sections including Food, Childhood, Brothers, School, Being a Dad, and Being Silly—each illustrated in full color by a different artist, including Michael Rosen’s longtime collaborator Quentin Blake—Peas on Your Knees is a poet’s playful ode to life itself. In a career spanning five decades, with more than two hundred books to his credit, including the international bestseller We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Oh Dear, Look What I Got!, both illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, Michael Rosen’s warmth, wit, and unflinching honesty have delighted generations of readers. Whether you’re a confirmed fan or discovering his child-centric genius for the first time, each of these thirty-five poems—some profound, others silly, many profoundly silly—is a little window into everyday life, whether the subject is forbidden chocolate cake or getting into REALLY BIG TROUBLE with a sibling. Featuring an introduction by Joseph Coelho, OBE, this intimate collection is a loving tribute to the “happy, sad, bizarre, and ridiculous nature of life.”