Poetry books for 5-7 year olds
Poetry books for 5-7-year-olds give children rhyme, rhythm, jokes, riddles and playful language just as their reading confidence is growing. They work best when poems are quick to share, easy to revisit and great fun to read aloud. Animal poems, nonsense verse and familiar everyday subjects help children enjoy words, build vocabulary and speak with growing confidence. This list features books by Michael Rosen, Benjamin Zephaniah, Maya Angelou, Dr. Seuss, Joseph Coelho, Jane Yolen, Nicola Davies, James Carter, Matt Goodfellow, and June Crebbin.
Poetry books for 5-7 year olds – our recommendations
BOING! A Bouncy Book of Bugs by James Carter, illustrated by Neal Layton
James Carter and Neal Layton team up for a buzzing collection of 24 poems about all things creepy-crawly – from bees to tardigrades. Packed with riddles, free verse, and fascinating facts, each poem offers a quirky spotlight on a different creature. Layton’s lively illustrations add extra charm, making it a fun and educational natural world experience for 4+ year olds who are curious about bugs. It’s ideal for KS1 classrooms.
A First Book of Dinosaurs by Simon Mole, illustrated by Matt Hunt
Simon Mole brings dinosaurs roaring to life in this poetic journey through the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. With over 30 poems, from playful haiku to punchy kennings, 3+ year olds meet favourites like T Rex and Stegosaurus, alongside lesser-known prehistoric beasts. Fossil facts, bold, energetic illustrations, a timeline, copious dino facts, and an evolutionary nod to modern birds round things off, sparking imagination and curiosity well beyond the final page. Highly recommended.
Big Red Dragon: Play-Rhymes Through the Year by Jane Newberry, illustrated by Carolina Rabei
Big Red Dragon features 15 action rhymes that will engage younger children with activities and festivals such as Easter, Halloween, Diwali, Christmas, and Chinese New Year. Suitable for home, or the classroom, it promotes language development through interactive poems, beautiful bright illustrations, and clear instructions for parents and carers, complementing Jane Newberry’s previous collection, Big Green Crocodile. It is highly recommended as inspiration for KS1 topic teaching.
A Poem in the Sky by Benjamin Zephaniah, illustrated by Nila Aye
Poems appear on faces, in the sky, in space, in dreams, on fingers and even in teeth in this spectacularly imaginative rhyming picture book by Benjamin Zephaniah. Repeated lines, vibrant illustrations and a steady read-aloud beat invite children to look and listen for rhythm in everyday moments, with short lines that suit shared reading and shared discussion with 3-7 year olds. Highly recommended.
A First Book of Bugs: with 30 poems about insects and minibeasts by Simon Mole, illustrated by Adam Ming
Simon Mole invites primary-aged readers into the curious, crawling world of bugs with a sparkling collection of fact-filled poems. From well-known favourites like bumblebees to quirky, lesser-known creatures, each verse blends science and wordplay to spark interest and wonder. Adam Ming’s vibrant, textured illustrations bring the insects to life, while a final section breaks down insect groups and shares simple ways to protect their habitats. It’s a lively, imaginative and creative introduction to the minibeasts all around us. Highly recommended.
The Shape of Rainbows by Neal Zetter, illustrated by Will Hughes
Whether befriending, startling, or holidaying with a rhino, each poem in this new collection invites 7+ readers to embark on funny and imaginative journeys. Living next door to a Viking or witnessing the tale of a boy who devours his school, these poems, set to lively illustrations by Will Hughes will make children both laugh and think. Thought-provoking, memorable and perfect to read and discuss in class, The Shape of Rainbows is highly recommended using as a classroom resource in Year 2. Read our full review.
Zim Zam Zoom!: Zappy Poems to Read Out Loud by James Carter, illustrated by Nicola Colton
Rockets, grumpy dragons, monster-making and a higgledy-piggledy farm set up poems that are ready for voices, actions and performance. A vibrant first poetry collection for children aged 5+, it suits group reading and reading aloud particularly well, with Nicola Colton’s colourful illustrations supporting the book’s exuberant pace. Highly recommended.
A Great Big Cuddle: Poems for the Very Young by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Chris Riddell
Hunger, anger, wiggling, giggling, hiding and noisy play run through these 36 poems, all shaped for small children’s ears and voices. Winner of the 2016 CLPE Poetry Award, this collection for 3-7 year olds is rich in repetition, nonsense, rhythm and feeling, with Chris Riddell’s expressive illustrations making this vibrant collection perfect to read and share. Highly recommended.
Squeak! Squawk! Roar!: Amazing Animal Poems by Kate Williams, illustrated by Hannah Asen
Kate Williams’ debut poetry collection brings the animal kingdom to life with over 50 poems about everything from cobras to wombats. Some verses will make you laugh, while others might make you pause and think about the world we share with these creatures. Hannah Asen’s playful illustrations add an extra spark, making it perfect for read-alouds or classroom inspiration. Whether you love wildlife or just a good rhyme, this collection is a real treat for 6+ year olds. Read our full review.
Here’s a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry by Andrew Fusek Peters and Jane Yolen, illustrated by Polly Dunbar
Small discoveries, new feelings and first encounters are opened up through over 60 verses by writers from Britain and America. For 4-5 year olds, this generous first anthology gives nursery and Year 1 children a varied route into poetry, with Polly Dunbar’s pictures making each spread feel immediate, colourful and easy to share aloud.
Yapping Away by Joshua Seigal, illustrated by Sarah Horne
Tantrums, Teddy Bears’ Picnics and a wide mix of funny, heartfelt and imaginative poems give this collection an easy read-aloud appeal. Children from 3 years can enjoy sharing it with an adult, while 5-7 year olds can begin reading it for themselves, supported by Sarah Horne’s black-and-white illustrations.
Caterpillar Cake: Read-Aloud Poems to Brighten Your Day by Matt Goodfellow, illustrated by Krina Patel-Sage
Caterpillar Cake features a diverse collection of engaging poems designed for young children that explore themes of everyday life and imagination through poems ripe for reading aloud and discussion. Suitable for KS1, these poems encourage participation through rhythmic language and colourful illustrations. It will appeal to educators offering opportunities to develop oral language skills and explore familiar topics such as animals, school, and family. It’s perfect for classroom reading, library collections, and reading at home.
The Star Whale by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Petr Horáček
The Star Whale is a visually stunning large format hardback collection of 40 poems, each beautifully paired with Petr Horáček’s vibrant illustrations. Celebrating the wonders of the natural world, from pangolins and bats to lions and a Titanosaurus, The Star Whale invites both enchanting imagination and deep contemplation. This inspirational book is a delightful read for young naturalists and a fantastic resource of nature poems for KS1 teachers. An astoundingly beautiful book. Read our full review.
Life Doesn’t Frighten Me (25th Anniversary Edition) by Maya Angelou, illustrated by Jean-Michel Basquiat
Panthers in the park, shadows, hallway noises and a new classroom are named and faced in this illustrated edition of Maya Angelou’s defiant poem. For 6+ year olds, the 25th anniversary edition pairs rhythmic poetry with Jean-Michel Basquiat’s bold artwork, opening up useful classroom PSHE discussion about fear, courage and art; and sparking impetus for class poetry and display ideas in KS1. Highly recommended.
Poo in the Zoo by Steve Smallman, illustrated by Ada Grey
Zookeeper Bob McGrew is exhausted by the endless mess at the zoo, until a strange shimmering poo appears. Children aged 3-5 will love the cheeky rhyming humour, animal chaos and Ada Grey’s lively pictures, especially when read aloud by an adult.
Smile Out Loud: 25 Happy Poems by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett
25 exuberantly happy poems read-aloud burst from this brightly illustrated large format picture book. Featuring ‘Imagination Running Free’, ‘The Dragging Dragon’, ‘Recipe For This Boy’ and many more, Smile Out Loud is a great book to instil fun and inspire confidence when children read aloud or read chorally as part of a group.
Blue Jelly and Strawberries: Poems to Tickle Your Tastebuds by Attie Lime, illustrated by Kate Sheppard
This lively poetry collection for young readers is packed with playful rhymes, clever wordplay, and quirky shape poems – think trees sprouting doughnuts and games of ping-pong with peas. Some poems are thoughtful, others downright funny, making it perfect for giggles or quiet moments. With engaging illustrations and plenty of read-aloud fun, it’s an ideal introduction to the power and excitement of poetry. Highly recommended for reading to KS1 classes. Read our full review.
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss
Triumphs, lurches, slumps and waiting places turn growing up into a strange, funny journey told in rhyme. For 3-7 year olds, this works well as a read-aloud for children facing change, with Dr. Seuss’s odd landscapes and bouncing verse making setbacks, choices and fresh starts easy to talk about.
The Puffin Book of Fantastic First Poems by June Crebbin
Poems about mealtimes, playtime, animals, family and bedtime sit alongside work by Robert Louis Stevenson, Walter de la Mare, Roger McGough and Michael Rosen. For 5-7 year olds, this chunky Puffin anthology with lively full-colour illustration gives early readers a wide first selection of poems rooted in subjects they can recognise and relate to.
Chocolate Cake by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Kevin Waldron
When a young boy sneaks downstairs at night, his plan to just look at the chocolate cake turns into a full-blown midnight feast. The laugh-out-loud poetic narrative captures his attempts to clean up the mess. But not everything goes as planned. Waldron’s illustrations, with lively text layouts and speech bubbles, ramp up Rosen’s sense of fun. It’s a surefire winner and also featured on our books for year 1 list.
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KS1 poetry resources for teachers
- CLPE’s poetry site gives primary teachers a searchable bank of children’s poems, teaching resources, poet performance videos and interviews to support poetry teaching across the primary years.
- The Poetry Society’s Poetryclass provides free lesson plans and classroom activities written by poet-educators, covering poetry reading, writing and performance across different key stages.
- The Children’s Poetry Archive Teaching Space pairs recorded poems with classroom materials, listening activities, learning resources and a poetry glossary, making it well suited to KS1 work on sound, rhythm and spoken language.
- National Poetry Day’s poems and resources page includes free classroom-ready worksheets for KS1 to KS5, searchable poems by age, and downloadable activities for whole-school or class poetry celebrations.
- The National Literacy Trust’s National Poetry Day page offers themed classroom activities for children from age 3 upwards, including playful poetry tasks, creative writing prompts and performance ideas for primary pupils.
- Oak National Academy’s Year 1 nursery-rhymes poetry unit provides five lessons with slide decks, worksheet PDFs, quizzes and lesson overviews for teaching rhyme, recitation, listening and simple performance.
- Oak National Academy’s Year 2 performance poetry unit uses poems by James Carter, Joseph Coelho and Matt Goodfellow to develop expression, audience awareness and spoken performance.
- Puffin Schools’ KS1 Michael Rosen poetry pack includes pre- and post-reading discussion prompts, spoken-language activities and cross-curricular ideas based on Chocolate Cake, with a separate KS1 video on performing poems also available.
- The Scottish Poetry Library’s learning resources can be filtered by age, language, curriculum area and format, with poetry materials for early primary pupils in English, Scots, Gaelic and other languages.
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