We are another step closer to discovering our champion author of Poems For Children.
The judge, Carole Bromley, YorkMix‘s poet in residence, has now selected her shortlist of poems.
There are a total of 42 titles on the shortlist from a total entry of 560 poems submitted by 225 different poets since our competition launched in April.
At stake is a top prize of £250.
The final selection of cash prize winners, Highly Commended and Commended poets will be decided next week. Those poets will be informed by email on or before Friday 19 July.
Our winner will be announced at an afternoon prize-giving event at York Explore Library on Saturday, 17 August, where winners will be invited to read their entries.
Shortlist
Here are the title and opening lines from the shortlisted poems:
A Change is as Good as a Rest
An anteater, whether it’s fat or it’s thin, / pretty much does what it says on the tin
A Diplodocus Thumbs a Lift after being Retired from The Natural History Museum
Now it’s Dippy’s turn to be feckless and traipse around the lanes as a hobo
A Song for Jimmy Dyer
Throw him a penny, throw him two
A Special Badger
I’m a special kind of badger / in a special badger den
Alligator
Once upon a time, there was an alligator / with eyes like two full-stops
Beyond Compare
A circle coloured in with chalk, / a football someone kicked too high
Billy And The Snail
There’s a snail on the door! / Come and see it!
Blogging
Jamie had a little blog / he shared it with his friends
Bogie Toad
Bogie Toad has a face like a welly boot toe,
Catcall
I am a cat, / don’t patronise me. / Puss puss indeed
Centuries of Questionable Kings
Did Pippin The Middle long to make it to the top? / Did Ivar The Boneless have a tendency to flop?
Chess Club
Early lunch pass gets them through / (While we hang hungry in the queue)
Clapping Rhyme
Daisy’s hair has giant bows / Her mum lets her paint her toes
Compliments of Shakespeare
You poisonous, slimy, bunch-backed toad, / you coward, beggar, shallow rogue
David
David could draw the most beautiful planes I ever saw
Dinosaurs for Dinner
It’s fake’ said Jake, slicing great chunks of cake
First Dolphin In Space
The dolphins got together, and began to form a plan
Grandad’s Going Fishing
“Grandad’s going fishing, / he’s heading for the stream. ”
Grim Fairy Tales
Tell me a story, a long-ago story / and make it deliciously scary and gory
Ice-cream for Breakfast
“Sofia, what would you like for breakfast?
Karmasaurus
I am a little dinosaur; the only one at school.
Night Out
I went to sleep on the back seat / I was dreaming about spaceships,
Nuts
I wouldn’t want a burger or a curry or a quiche / I wouldn’t push a pasty past my lips and tongue and teeth
On the Level
Turns out I’m level 5 in maths / ‘Cos I can do some sums / I’m level 3 in music / As I only play the drums
Packed Lunch
On Monday, /I opened my lunchbox and I had
Quetzal
In case you get confused between / A Quetzal and a pretzel
Rapunzel
Rapunzel’s parents, though quite rich, /stole veggies from a wicked witch
Sick Note
Please excuse Zak from swimming; his leg is rather loose
Superboy
Today, superboy is ‘catching the world’.
The Donkey With Two Left Feet
You see that donkey on Scarborough beach,
The Emoji
The Emoji are slippery little creatures
The Fib
I told a little fib one day / To make myself look clever
The Museum of Chairs
In the Museum of Chairs there aren’t any pairs
The School for Ghouls
The school for ghouls / is where ghosts and spooks of every sort / learn the tools of the trade
There Is Always One
There is always one who’s late for class and one / waiting by the door for teacher
This Poem
If you would rather be kicking a ball
This Poem Is New
This poem is new. I made it up. / Before I sat and wrote it
Three Little Pigs
In a little wooden house by a sycamore tree
Tyrannosaurus Vexed
Dear Sir / Madam, / It appears / that your biased views and smears
Who?
Underneath the leather gear / Underneath the slicked back hair
Wonderland
“It was the kind of dribbly day / you get in dreams,”
You Can’t Teach Your Nana Eggy Sucky
You can’t teach your nana eggy-sucky / If you have a nana you’re more-than-likely lucky