By Grace Nichols
Published by A&C Black
RRP £6.99 (paperback)
ISBN 9781408193006
Reviewed by Lynsey Evans
Grace Nichols' first collection of poetry for children, Come on into my Tropical Garden, was published by A&C Black in 1988. 25 years on, A&C Black is proud to re-release this together with her second collection, Give Yourself a Hug, in a new single-volume edition.
This collection is split into Sun Time – poems from Grace’s childhood in Guyana, then Snow Time – poems from the last 30 years she’s spent living in Britain. There’s a lovely contrast of Caribbean culture, and the way the poems are written in the local dialect, to the British way of life. It’s a great blend of culture, sharing in rhythm and rhyme, telling stories of chidhood and of memories, that totally absorb you.
This is a lovely collection, and one that children will have fun reading and sharing with one another.
Highly recommended for readers aged 7+
Check out the Poetry Archive's Interview with Grace Nichols!
