What better time than Christmas to ponder the passing of the year, the mystery of the birth of Christ, the traditions of the season, and the expectation of what the New Year might usher in? And what better way to reflect on such themes than through poetry? This is a thought-provoking, satisfying collection that brings together poems ranging from traditional wassailing songs to the work of contemporary poets. Illustrated in both colour and black and white by artists such as Peter Bailey, Charles Keeping and Ian Beck, it is an anthology to treasure from childhood through to adulthood.

This is a lovely anthology of poems for the whole Christmas season. There are traditional carols and songs, and modern poems about children's experiences of Christmas: food and families, presents and celebrations, and the snow and ice of winter. The collection is both reflective and joyful and includes contributions from Eleanor Farjeon, Roger McGough, Judith Nicholls, U.A. Fanthorpe and Gareth Owen, among many others. With beautiful colour illustrations throughout, this collection makes a perfect gift at Christmas.

How many of one's favourite poems are story poems? This is a wonderful collection of over sixty narratives in verse with thrilling tales, silly nonsense rhymes, tragic poems that will keep you in suspense, and funny, quirky poems that will delight over and over again. All the classic poems you would expect to see are here, such as Jabberwocky, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, The Highwayman, The Lady of Shalott, and The Owl and the Pussycat and these combine with more modern but equally satisfying poems to make a rich and varied anthology. The authors include Hilaire Belloc, Edward Lear, Walter de la Mare, J.R.R. Tolkien, James Reeves, Roger McGough, and Michael Rosen.