Winner of the CLPE Poetry Award

George Szirtes' children's poems comprise riddles, mysteries and parables, strange encounters, cautionary tales, and meditations on just about everything under the sun - from the sea's hands to the wind's face. All Szirtes' technical virtuosity is on display, the music, rhyme and cadence fusing together with an Eastern European sensibility to provide a unique collection that will be treasured by all children and not a few adults.

This generous new selection displays wit and warm good humour with a hint of the absurd.

Also included are a series of translations of children's poems from Hungary including works by Sandor Weoeres and Zoltan Zelk.

This book was recognised by the Clpe Poetry Award.

This book is part of a book series called Childrens Poetry Library .

There are 96 pages in this book. It is an anthology. This book was published 2012 by Salt Publishing .

George Szirtes is a widely acclaimed Hungarian-born British poet. He has won a variety of prizes for his work, including the TS Eliot Prize for his Reel and the 2013 CLPE Prize for his children's collection: In the Land of the Giants . His translations from Hungarian poetry, fiction and drama have also won numerous awards. George Szirtes lives in Wymondham, Norfolk, and teaches at the University of East Anglia.

This book has the following chapters:

• Acknowledgements
• Four Superstitions
• 1. The Sneezing Week
• 2. Watch who you are winking at
• 3. Bad signs
• 4. Runs till it drops
• Three Fires and a Flood
• Flame
• The Great Fire of London
• The Fire's Heart
• The Flood
• The Bee's Knees
• The Bee's Knees
• The Wasp's Waist
• The Serpent's Tail
• The Fish's Fingers
• The Bicycle's Wrists
• The Clouds' Hair
• The Wind's Face
• The Sea's Hands
• The Sun's Toes
• The Cold's Teeth
• The Refrigerator's Belly
• The Wall's Ears
• The Bedroom Chest
• The Clothes-hanger's Collarbone
• The Book's Spine
• The Window's Eyes
• The Butcher's Calves
• The Bottle's Neck
• The Cup's Lip
• The Ice Cream's Tongue
• The Cave's Mouth
• The Lake's Bottom
• Three Mysteries
• 1. The Lost Sock Mystery
• 2. The Mystery of the Ant
• 3. The Rainbow Mystery
• In the Land of the Giants
• Rock A Bye
• Beware Of The Bear!
• In The Land Of Giants
• At Gran's
• Fancy Dress
• Henry
• Brave
• Pianist
• Soulful
• Flautist
• Plumbing Service
• Egg Magic
• The Great Drongo
• Poet
• No, Love
• Visitor
• Miss String
• Miss String
• Ahem
• Old Couples
• Whoopsa
• Moonlife
• Moon Questions
• Space Comes Out at Night
• Apple Tree
• Mouse Dreaming
• Goldfish
• Animal Lore
• The Wreck of The Hope
• From the Hungarian
• Bird
• The Spring
• The Earth
• Ant
• A Poem about Two Seals
• Winter Trees
• Storks
• Snail
• The Bear's Dilemma
• Three Short Verses About the Wind
• Sleighbells
• Deep in the Wood the Violets Drowse
• My Dog Ace
• Happy New Year