Talking Turkeys

by Benjamin Zephaniah

Wanna be in our gang? We cause Peace, Fighters fear us, On de streets The very first ground-breaking children's poetry collection from street poet Benjamin Zephaniah. Playful, clever and provocative, this is performance poetry on the page at its very best.

Genres: Poetry, Poetry Plays, Nonfiction, Animals, Childrens, Humor

96 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 1995

About the author

A British-Jamaican writer, dub poet and Rastafari. He was included in The Times list of Britain's top 50 post-war writers in 2008.

Reviews

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in 1994, Zephaniah's poems are as fresh and relevant as they were back then. With topics ranging from veganism to protecting the planet and all life on it, this collection of poems provides a wonderful blend of performance poetry that can be enjoyed by all. He provokes conversations on the monarchy (he was ALWAYS going to refuse that OBE - it's clear in his words right here) and he has some strong yet affecting thoughts on consumerism and preservation of our wonderful planet. I loved it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Talking Turkeys' Poetry by Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Zephaniah was born in Birmingham in 1958. At a young age he went through several schools before being permanently excluded at the age of 13. He showed great promise as a poet, reading his poetry in local churches becoming well known among the local black Caribbean community. His time in prison proved to be a turning point in his life. At the age of 22, shortly after being released from prison he published his first collection of poetry, specifically designed for children called ‘Talking Turkeys.’ It is this collection of poems that I will be reviewing.


Throughout the poems Zephaniah connects with young people using conversational language and introduces topics that can be easily understood by children with a wide variety of interests. Topics include a visit to Buckingham Palace, friends, family, sweets, heroes and animals. This has the effect of making poetry fun, and accessible to a wide range of age groups at KS1 and KS2. Children naturally enjoy playground jingles and rhymes but can become daunted at the idea of ‘poetry’ so this collection of poems is fun and enjoyable, helping to stimulate a child’s imagination and interest whilst building confidence in poetry. The words are simple and appropriate for both the KS1 and KS2 reader. A unique feature about his poetry is the way in which he writes colloquially or ‘street’. For example instead of using the word ‘there’ he replaces it with ‘dere’. Informal made up words such as ‘guzzard’s’ add humour and fun. His poems generally have an uplifting, heart-warming moral at the end, as in the poem ‘Heroes’ where the last line states ‘I say we’re all heroes if we do our little bit.’ This positive message and the associated visual imagery would be an excellent project title for an extended piece of writing. The structures of the poems are not complex but are effective. In ‘Friends.’ the structure is very simple, using four lines to describe each animal in turn, using well known characteristics of that specific animal. When talking about a snake he writes ‘I am known to slip and slide.’ This poem provides visual stimulation and makes the ideas in the poem easily understood for children of a young age. This is strengthened by the inclusion of a wide variety of illustrations. Pictures, designs and photographs are creatively embedded within the poems. The layout of the words in the poem often supports the image. Images consist of collage, pen and ink and photographic studies which add humour and make the poems less daunting to read. In his poem entitled ‘Drivosaurus Rex’ he uses an image of a T-Rex driving a car which would grab the attention of the young reader. In other poems the illustrations provide the lay-out of the poem in a fun and imaginative way allowing for the text to be broken up.

Zephaniah connects with modern issues and introduces new perspectives to a young audience. The effective imagery and informal language work well together and open up a world of possibilities for classroom activities. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the poems again and would certainly use them as an excellent teaching resource and recommend this book to both children and adults. I now intend to read more of his work in the near future.

[Zaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is ‘Dedicated to the earth and the children who care’ (Zephaniah B, p5).
Let’s get this straight. There are some poems here that don’t promote correct punctuation and grammar as the words are often phrased in Jamaican Patois. It’s also unconventional, strange and confusing in parts. That said, this collection, strange as it is; is quite charming and clever, very humorous and does have a tendency to make you want to turn the page to see what’s coming next. The collection has a range of poems including the gentle but humorous ‘Little Sister’ on p20; the self titled ‘Talking Turkeys’ p88 (who are cool, have a love for reggae and hip hop and would make great guests alive at Christmas apparently!); and the anti grammatical ‘According to my mood ‘on p24 (‘I have poetic licence, I WriTe thE way I want, I drop my full stops where I like… ‘) - gives you an idea of what I mean.
This is a great read aloud book suited to KS2 children and has some really unique illustrations and photographs that bring each page to life. Would I recommend it? Of course I would. If only to see, read and believe it for yourself! Enjoy.

[Sandra Gerrits · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars is that there are a few poems 'I don't get'. Luckily there are only two or three of them so I can live with it. The other poems I love. I read and reread them over and over again and i still think they're brilliant.

So 5-stars for most
2 stars for a few

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Talking Turkeys” – Benjamin Zepheniah

“Talking Turkeys” is a collection of short poems that do not require prior knowledge and are accessible to many readers (recommended for mid-upper KS2). Zepheniah’s style is unique and engaging for readers and the poems can be read singularly or as an anthology.
The colloquial and informal tone of the poems lends themselves to being an alternative choice for fulfilling the NC task of learning a text by heart and reciting/ performing it.

“Greet Tings”
The poem consists of greetings in 28 different languages. The poem could therefore be displayed in the classroom to encourage children to greet each other or answer the register in a different language. The poem also increases awareness of other languages and identifies a similarity across cultures (greetings).

“According To My Mood”
Highlights creativity in writing and the ability to use poetry to ‘break the rules’. Could facilitate discussion around having a creative outlet in writing and being able to express yourself and your emotions.

“Who’s Who”
This poem is only 7 lines long but powerfully challenges stereotypes about who can pursue certain careers. The poem could be used in literacy lessons with children writing their own poems about something they’ve changed beliefs about but could also be used in PSHE discussions surrounding gender/ race stereotypes.

“I”
This poem is very short and raises the discussion of boys showing emotion and crying. The poem would be a useful tool in a PSHE discussion surrounding managing emotions and supporting others.

[Jane Scholey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these poems.

[Tamsin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read and will put a smile on your face. You can really feel the rhythm of each poem, running through and that is what I enjoyed most about this collection of poetry. Although there were some poems that I couldn't connect with, I feel that with this collection, the poems are meant to be read aloud instead of read.

Some of my favourites included:

'Little Sister' - Sweet and clever poem
'Vegan Delight' - I loved the rhythm in this one and how all the words just rolling off one another.
'Who's Who' - a fun, simple poem about the traditional views of gender and roles.

[Chloe Stephenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talking Turkeys is a collection of poetry by Zephaniah who is a Jamaican children’s poet. The front cover of the book is highly engaging and colourful, Zephaniah is depicted with his arm around a turkey who is wearing Jamaican accessories. This wacky image with engage and stimulate children to want to read the book, allowing them to gain confidence with this non-standard form of poetry. Zephaniah uses lots of informal and conversational language which is not usually what you typically expect to find in traditional poetry. Zephaniah’s incorporate his Jamaican patois, breaks standard rules of grammar (for example ‘there’ is written ‘dere’) and includes a variety of bold lettering and large font. The style is colloquial and informal which reflects how children speak to other another outside the classroom, when in the playground, for example. Children enjoy rhymes, songs and texts which have a rhythm all of which are catered for in this poetry book. This approach will allow children to get excited about poetry and engage them at a young age. This collection of poems could be used both with KS1 and 2 as it covers a wide variety of topics which children will have experience with, for example: little sister, dinosaurs, sweets and heroes.

[Eloise Battey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love poetry and this love was sparked when I discovered Benjamin Zephaniah and his work. I actually have my own signed copy of this book as I use to always attend live performances of Zephaniah performing his work, in which I would also bring my pile of his poetry books to. The poem in this book ‘talking turkeys!!’ may be my favourite Zephaniah poem as it is so fun to read and I love the way in which Zephaniah manages to throw his voice into the book by the way in which he writes and words that he uses ‘Be nice to yu turkeys dis Christmas’.
The types of poems that Zephaniah writes are so different and I think this demonstrates to children that poems should allow you to write about absolutely anything that you want to. This book in particular also tells the reader a lot about Zephaniah and his personal life which I think is really nice for children and helps them to feel more connected to the author.

[Carli Vallance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vibrant compendium of rhythmic poetry, this book is a fun read! Zephaniah writes with a jovial Jamaican twang and illustrates with a creative typeface and playful images. Politics, veganism and animals are prominent themes, touched upon with varying weight and humour. Zephaniah’s words provoke and invoke; he challenges the reader to question societal ideals but also encourages compassion and equality.

I think Talking Turkeys would be a brilliant book to use in KS2 classrooms, with the focus on reading out-aloud and creative writing. ‘Beyond de bell’ is a brilliant poem about bullying and ‘A day in the life of Danny the cat’ inspires imagination. Although the colloquialisms (‘dere waz’) make this book accessible to children and enjoyable to read, care should be taken addressing the potentially confusing grammar and punctuation.

[Zoe Hickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book of poems as they are all based on things going on in the world. These poems are written in such a clever way that you can almost hear the author saying them as you read.

I have selected a few to read to a year four class - after we will discuss the topics, such as monarchy and peace.

[Nang Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the ryhmings better. Although they were not quite good. The rest are of personality poems, concerning with the poet.

[Moon Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the reason I love poetry.

The first poem I ever remember being read was Talking Turkeys, my year 3 teacher read it to us and I absolutely fell in love and asked her if I could read the book. She leant it to me and told me to tell her what I thought and bless her heart I don't think she was expecting me to actually read it because when I turned up to school the next day with a handwritten a4 page review written with a glitter gel pen in my chubby little 7 year old hand she was floored, and that review was pinned next to her desk for the rest of the school year.
But I read every single word in one evening. I'm sure at 7 years old most of it meant absolutely nothing to me, but at 25, it solidifies my love for poetry.
Benjamin Zephaniah gifted me such a passion and I am so so sad the world has lost an incredible writer.

[Isobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talking Turkeys by Benjamin Zephaniah
These poems are exciting for children to read as they are based on Benji and his life.

It also teaches children about slang.

The poems make the reader want to continue reading as they are playful, engaging and funny.

The poems are also good for teaching children about rhyming couplets and they teach children about how poems can be structured.

Some of the poems teach children about history, jobs, Christmas, greeting from different countries etc.


The message of this poem for children is it teaches them a lesson that poetry can be fun and playful. If poetry is fun it may encourage children to continue reading which will improve their reading pace, spellings and vocabulary.

I would recommend this poetry book because I was inspired by the different poems; when reading them I enjoyed the structure of the poems and the funny humour.

[Darren Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many, I was saddened to read of our collective loss of Benjamin in late '23. There are not many famous people who I would have liked to have met and lets be honest here, listened to the wisdom of but this guy is one of the few. I just know that I'd have been in awe of him. A great album here of some of his earlier work, some funny and some thought provoking. I just love the titular Turkey poem which we read out at our family Xmas dinner table (where no turkey was consumed....honest!). Rest in Peace sir and thank you for your inspirational work.

[Emma Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever collection of poems particularly interesting having read the poe s biography.He uses poetry to. Give messages in a conversational way bringing Jamaican culture to the ear .Uses rap to beat out a Poem that's sending messages about animal and human rights . Thought provoking and fun in a non conventional way .Surprising and energetic .A good resource particularly for those needing to become engaged with poetry.

[Caroline Dougan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic for so many reasons! Such a great way of getting children talking about some really important and complex issues. A breath of fresh air, providing poetry that is fun, humorous, challenging and relevant. The variety of styles Zephaniah writes in could also be used to get children interested in poetry, showing them the freedom is provides for people to express themselves however they wish.

[A.J. Sefton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard the poem Talking Turkeys spoken by Zephaniah himself. He read it as all his poems are to be read, in a Jamaican accent, so I was surprised to find that his normal accent is a Birmingham one, but he likes to pay homage to his heritage. Besides, the Jamaican accent is more fun, especially for his works, which take the form of rap and hip-hop.

This is a great little book of read-aloud and look at poetry designed for young children. The poems cover many topics that children would find interesting, such as the birth of a new sister, animals, caring, looking after the planet, stereotypes, politics, racism and hunting. They are also very visual, many of the poems are written to form patterns and there is great wordplay.

Zephaniah is a caring, intelligent and talented writer whose poems help teach children about being better people, without being preachy or dull. As someone who doesn't eat turkeys at Christmas, Talking Turkeys is my favourite poem. Something I like to recite every 25th December.

​A great read, fun and informative, something all children should experience.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

These poems are great!

I love the musical quality to Zephaniah's lines; his rhythms are incredibly catchy. Many of these poems are pro-vegan/animal rights but I like the way he does this – in a way that doesn't really vilify those who eat animals but simply persuades them in a cheery way to also become very animal conscious.

Clever and fun!

[Mireille Abbots-Vergnaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poet personifies the turkeys in order to make readers empathise more with the birds’ situation – ‘Turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked, An every turkey has a Mum’. This poem would be good for children to link to PSHCE due to the strong sided views of the poem. It would also be good to use in literacy where the children could look at the structure and stanzas one by one.

[Tiina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so 1990's! All the references to the ozone layer and green house effect took me back. The more things change, the more they stay the same, etc.

The poems are funny and smart. Zephaniah really has a way with words. The message to save the planet and the animals is really current.

Recommend to everyone, young and old!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this anthology has brought back to mind the fact that I really miss reading poetry. This anthology is really punny and I appreciated the messages expressed by the writer. I also acknowledge that Benjamin is dyslexic but this did not inhibit the messages he was promoting.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read through 2023-2024 - bought to inspire kids for their poetry jam this year. Each poem is a little message and a good vibe. Seeing as BZ had every reason to be angry - he only gives out love. In the year after his passing the “I want to be remembered” poem really stuck out.

[Markwoods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than I remembered it. There’s lots here I could use with classes. Read first. Then video of him performing.

[manel queiroz · Rating 4 out of 5]

had to read this for a uni project. ended up enjoying it quite a lot.

[Andrew H · Rating 4 out of 5]

A distinctive poetry book for children, wildly creative.

[Kei · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favourite poets he never misses

[annabel⭐️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was ok..

[neil]

Sociologists
Physicists
Archaeologists
And
Anthropologists
Like
Dieticians
Rhetoricians
Mathematicians
And
Politicians
Are simple people,
Help them.

[Jenny Whiting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure class from the one and only Benji xx we will remember your name