A Whale of a Time - by Lou Peacock (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Winner of Good Housekeeping's 2023 Best Kids' Book Awards

Featured in The New York Times' Holiday Gift Books for Children

Named One of Smithsonian Magazine's Ten Best Children's Books of 2023

Named a Most Anticipated Kids' Book by Barnes & Noble

A wonderful gift for all ages, this beautiful, rib-tickling anthology is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! Whether it''s a poem about socks or spaniels, eggs or elephants, this bright and brilliant collection will bring you cheer and laughter every day. Perfect for reading aloud and sharing even more side-splitting hilarity with family and friends.

The spectacular range of poems for children includes work by John Agard, Maya Angelou, Brian Bilston, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton, Wendy Cope, Nikki Grimes, Nikki Giovanni, Langston Hughes, Edward Lear, Ogden Nash, Linda Sue Park, Michael Rosen, Judith Viorst, William Carlos Williams, Jane Yolen, Benjamin Zephaniah, and many more!

With a ribbon marker and poems about everything from animals, holidays, and food, to friendship, family, and feelings, A Whale of a Time is the perfect gift for any occasion.

"Oh, the lucky child who hears a poem a day read aloud from this big book of joy."
--The New York Times

Review Quotes

"With its vibrant and joyful illustrations that perfectly accompany the poems, it is a perfect gift for young readers. Teachers and librarians will find the poems to be perfectly placed read-alouds to share throughout the year. "--NCTE Excellence in Children's Poetry Award Committee, School Library Journal

Oh, the lucky child who hears a poem a day read aloud from this big book of joy.--Catherine Hong, New York Times Book Review

Readable and unusually capacious... [Matt] Hunt's cartoon illustrations, which feature a large and diverse cast of children in lively poses, add bright notes of energy and action to the spacious page layouts.
--Kirkus Reviews

A balanced collection of poetry punctuated with vibrant mixed media art, this oversized selection reflects seasonal changes, as each section is collected by month for daily readings. Layouts showcase diverse, bold illustrations created by paint, pens, crayons, and digital. Hunt's artistic interpretation of poetry, paired with Peacock's selections per spread, offer an imaginative and brilliant twist to the limericks, haiku, free verse, odes, and other rhymes.--Rachel Zuffa, School Library Journal

About the Author

Lou Peacock is lucky enough to have one of the best jobs in the world: "Publishing Director of Picture Books" at Nosy Crow. She has a degree in English Literature from Oxford University, and over twenty years' experience in children's publishing. She started her editorial career working on novelty books, but has focused on picture books and poetry for the last 15 years. She often puts her author hat on to write picture books for Nosy Crow and has a notebook full of scribbled ideas.

Matt Hunt was born in Redditch in Worcestershire, England, in 1988. Starting out as a fine artist, he graduated from the Birmingham School of Art, and from these roots, developed a love for children's illustration. Matt works in mixed media, utilizing paint, pens, crayons, and digital methods. He's influenced by old movies, classic illustration, cartoons, and books. He lives with his wife Hayley and two cats.