‘Not long ago by old green trees,
The spring brought sun and bumble bees.’
This collection of simple, rhyming poems about Roglins – fictional creatures who live in the woods – is supported by clear, black and white pictures that show the creatures at play and at rest. There’s a sense of progression as you move through the fifteen poems from introducing the creatures, to seeing them begin their day, engage in playful activities and then go to bed.
What’s it about?
With hooves instead of feet and massive floppy ears or horns, Anna Spencer introduces young readers to Roglins – super friendly and sensitive souls that live hidden away in woods. With her book sharing the adventures of these magical, poetical and songful creatures, her easy-to-read, funny and unexpected tales are destined to become story time favourites.
Who are the Roglins? Do you know?
They’re hidden in the grass below.
Some tiny hands and tiny hooves
Look closely you might see their moves.
What’s it like?
Composed primarily from rhyming couplets, the poems mostly flow smoothly with just a couple of attempted rhymes that don’t work (‘burp’/’superb’ and ‘water’/’otter’) and a few lines that don’t quite scan. More frustratingly, in such a short volume, there are a couple of basic spelling mistakes.
The ideas are simple and expressed with a lot of enthusiasm; exclamation marks abound! The pictures are engaging, full of insects and other animals to spot as well as the Roglins. The poems are full of joy and encourage a positive view of forest creatures as playful and nature as magical.
Final thoughts
My eight year old daughter didn’t take to these poems, but I can see how the whimsical creatures could appeal to younger children. The Roglins are beautifully drawn with just the right amount of detail for younger children: easy to interpret but enough detail to explore, especially the forest view in the opening and closing pages.
‘Roglins’,
Anna Spencer,
2024, Nightingale Books
Many thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and a spot on the blog tour.
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