All Together Now: Collected Poems – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Poetry, funny, charming, playful, exciting.
Children’s book title: All Together Now: Collected Poems.
Children’s author: Michaela Morgan.
Children’s illustrator: Nick Sharratt.
Genre: Children’s poetry collection.
Published by: Otter-Barry Books.
ISBN: 9781915659644.
Recommended for children aged: 7-9.
First published: Paperback August 2025.
This children’s book is ideal for: Young poetry fans.
To see the latest price or order, click on the book cover image. As an Amazon Associate, schoolreadinglist.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.
Our review:
Words with rhythm. Words with rhyme,
Words to make you feel just fine.
To clap your hands, tap your feet
or click your fingers to the beat.
Words to make you grow – or cower.
Have you heard the word …
WORDPOWER!
All Together Now is the debut poetry collection by renowned performance poet Michaela Morgan, whose work has been published in both UK and American anthologies for over 20 years. Uniting both old favourites and brand-new poems, this is a delightful book that will have great appeal to young poetry fans.
The collection is grouped under broad subject headings, which include:
- Animals
- Food
- People
- Word play
- Monters
There is an underlying theme of unity throughout the collection. Michaela Morgan explains that this was inspired by the desire for reconnection as she was compiling the book during the first Covid-19 lockdown. The author goes on to explain how poetry itself can connect us:
We can pass poems on in a creative chain. We can be inspired by a poem we read, and then we can write one. It’s a chain that joins people together.
Some of the poems read like chants or songs, and many are accompanied by a brief author note, which gives suggestions on how they could be read aloud or even performed. Readers are even invited (with appropriate adult permission) to film their performances and send the recordings to the author’s website, enhancing the sense of unity as readers become an active part of the poetry collection itself.
Menu
Rice and mice?
Hmm … could be nice …
Fly pie?
OK … I’ll try
Puddle of sick?
Well, just a lick.
Spider Paste?
I’ll try a taste.
Pigeon plop?
Well, just a drop.
Horse sauce?
Yes of course!
Snake cake?
Sounds great!
A Brussels sprout?
Let me out!
All Together Now is charmingly illustrated by the iconic Nick Sharratt, known for his collaboration with Jacqueline Wilson as well as being a highly successful writer in his own right.
The ‘People’ section of this collection is particularly powerful, featuring a series of biographical poems of both historical (Walter Tull) and contemporary (Malala Yousafzai) figures. Each poem is accompanied by a short explanation providing context. Other poems include free verses, formal rhyming schemes and shape poems. As well as the frequent illustrations, variations in font size, type and layout choices enhance the visual appeal of the collection.
A Little Limerick
There once was a monster called Fred,
Who used to live under my bed.
He was scary – and so
I just told him to GO!
Now he tries to scare Granny instead.
All Together Now is a funny, accessible poetry collection that will appeal to fans of Michael Rosen and Joseph Coelho.
Many thanks to Otter-Barry Books for the review copy.
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