Rainmaker Danced

by John Agard (Illustrator), Satoshi Kitamura

A wonderful new anthology of poems by winner of the Queens Medal and the Eleanor Farjeon Award, 2016 Do triangles ever get into a tangle when their sides meet their angles? A wonderful new children's poetry collection, from a celebrated, award-winning poet. From nature and science to identity, prepare to be transported on a journey through past and present. This collection from John Agard, winner of the Queens Medal and the Eleanor Farjeon Award, explores the wonders of the world - inviting your child to ponder life's questions with lots of fun along the way!

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

Published September 21, 2017

About the author

John Agard was born in Guyana and emigrated to Britain in 1977. He has worked as an actor and a performer with a jazz group and spent several years as a lecturer for the Commonwealth Institute, travelling all over Britain giving talks, performances and workshops. He has visited literally thousands of schools and enjoys the live contact and the joy of children responding although it can be hard work.

John Agard started writing poems when he was about 16 - some of these early efforts were published in his school magazine. Many of his poems now are composed while looking out of train windows.

"Try the best with what you have right now
If you don't have horse, then ride cow."

It is in his poetry that John Agard makes his greatest contribution to children's literature. Like the best authors, he brings something unique to children's experience - a view of the world tempered by his own childhood, a feeling for the rhythms and cadences of its language, and a sophisticated understanding of the advantages and limitations of several forms of English. That he can make the "standard" forms work superbly is evident from many of his poems for adults. For children, with whom he communicates more directly, the lyrical Guyanese forms serve his purposes to perfection.

Agard is not a literary poet but also a performing poet and has a strong sense of his audience. When he writes for children, he seems to see them sitting at his feet. He is more interested in the ideas and words he is delivering to them than in the creation of complex fictional characters with whom his readers might engage. He lives in Sussex and is married to Grace Nichols, a respected Caribbean poet and co-author of a collection of Caribbean nursery rhymes, NO HICKORY, NO DICKORY, NO DOCK.

Reviews

[Alice Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting children’s poetry book that would be ideal for primary school. It contains a lot of themes that could potentially be sensitive topics for some children and it would be important to keep this in mind.

We could use the book for performances as every poem and short and memorable to build children’s confidence in speaking to others and delivering their speech clearly.

The poet uses a variety of rhyme schemes that I could explore with a class and we could have a go at picking out some of the fantastic language used to inspire our own poetry. The poems are accompanied by beautiful illustrations that children will enjoy looking at and creating their own to go with their poems.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A large collection of poems which has a range of topics covered. There’s lots of links across the curriculum.

My favourites were-
• On the Run from Colours
I thought this would link well to Dr Suess’ book My many coloured days. With the association of colour to emotions and events. There’s also lots of nature links here so there would be opportunity for a nature hunt and finding objects which are certain colours and the asking of questions surrounding found objects. Also links to art and colour- what do you think of when you think of *this colour*?

• The Naming of Giants
A clear link to traditional tales, such as Jack and the Beanstalk. The names given are quite odd so children could come up with their own giant and it’s name. There’s a lot of strong words in this poem and some words may be unfamiliar to children so there’s opportunity to explore synonyms.

• Of Course I Believe In
Explores the imagination and the possibilities of what else is out there in our world. Opportunities for debate and the use of talk where children need to justify their opinions. Links to Beegu, Harry Potter, Aliens like Underpants

• Seeking Answers
A fun poem linking to maths.

•The Countdown to Mars
Linking to transport and space. More sophisticated language, suitable for KS2. Lots of rhyming throughout.

• Three Old Mother’s
Poem about nature and the world we live in and personification of Frost, Thunder and the Ozone. Can link to geography and the environment.

• Pushing Up Daisies With Grandpa
This poem is quite emotional as a grandpa is explaining that one day he will die. A good poem to link to the life cycle and PSHE.

• Kangaroo Post
I just really like this one for no particular reason! It would be a good link to science and animals as Kangaroos are quite peculiar. I also have seen lots of kangaroos in the wild and with joeys in their pouches so have my own stories to tell and images to share.

• The Encounter
This poem, to me, is about a man who travels continuously. He has nowhere to go because he doesn’t live anywhere he’s a constantly moving man.

[Isobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good poetry book written with different forms and words that rhyme, made-up words, they use similes and a good range of adjectives. I also love that every poem is usual, unique and tells a story either about a human, animal or nature. The book focus on social aspects, it interacts with the world, myths and tales and reflects on humanity and nature. I think the book would be an excellent class read because some of the poems could be used to develop children's dialogue, social skills and confidence with the children in their class. My favourite poem is ‘The four Footed Olympians’, I like this poem because it links the animals to the different Olympic sports based on their natural life and their body build, such as the otter being a synchronised swimmer, and the octopus being a good goalkeeper because of its eight tentacles. I also think children would enjoy this poem because they may guess what sports the animals may play. Therefore, I think this book would be an excellent class read because the poems are engaging and it can help children to develop a passion and enthusiasm for poetry.

[Kathryn Thornton]

The Rainmaker Danced is a collection of different poems written by John Agard.
The poems the book contain are very interesting and enjoyable to read, however, readers can relate to poems as some relate to family, friends and pets. Also, the poems can also relate to children and children can enjoy them, as some of the poems contain dinosaurs and other extra terrestrial creatures that children enjoy to read.

Furthermore, this poetry book can be used in schools, with a wide variety of different uses; such as a reading book or the children can discuss the book with their peers and see what they recognise in their own lives compared to the stories in the poems.

Overall, this book is a very enjoyable read, with each poem being unique in the creative ways they portrayed their plots to draw in readers of all ages.

[Ellie Abrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this was a very interesting anthology of poetry that could be used to spark interest among children in the class. There are a great variety of themes included (some of which could be sensitive to certain readers/listeners) that are relevant. I think that this is useful in making the text appealing to children because there is at least one poem they will be able to identify with.

This would be an excellent anthology to use in the classroom, due to the unusual style and irregular form. As the poems are short, this collection would be a useful way to introduce children to alternative poetry that does not rhyme – without it being overwhelming.

My personal favourites from the collection were: Line; More pointless questions of course I believe in; progress and seeking answers.

Kitamura produces beautiful illustrations for all of these poems, which brilliantly serve their purpose of immersing the reader into the given poem.

[Jennifer McCallum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This poetry book is full of different short poems, and could be picked up and flicked through by children and adults alike. Agard's poems range between being serious and silly in nature and touch on a range of topics.
Poems such as 'The Balloons And The Pins' seems at first glance to be rather silly in nature. However, upon further thought seems to be making the reader think about war, and the reasons for it. This is a clever way of getting the reader to think about very serious topics, many of which are based around Agard's anti-war stance.
This poetry book can do more than just get the reader to think. It is a wonderful example of the many formats poetry can take, and the different features related to the genre. It could also be used in the classroom alongside the arts. The pictures behind the poems could help the children turn each poem into a dance or drama piece, or could help give the children direction as to how they may choose to represent a poem with a picture.

[Lauren Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rainmaker Danced by John Agard is a great collection of poems for children. They are all different in their own ways however there are some similarities. I liked the way in which John Agard writes his poetry and the techniques he uses. I think that children would enjoy poems from this book when learning about poetry and could use some of his ideas and techniques to write their own poems. The cover of the book is bright and colourful. This is effective as it makes it stand out and will make children want to pick it up and read some of the poems. I would say that the main audience for this book would be ks2 children however this could be used in ks1 if only one poem was focussed on at one time.

I would definitely recommend using this poetry book in the classroom and having a few copies in both the classroom and school library.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good range of poems with great accompanying illustrations. The collection could be used with primary children, some of the poems involve death with could be used to accompany PSHE topics. However, due to this care would have to be taken to respond in a sensitive manner and with consideration of individual class members to avoid any upset. Due to this, these poems may be more suitable for use in KS2. Other poems in the book could be used in KS1. The poems vary in length and style, some include rhyme whilst others don't. This could be beneficial when teaching poetry to show the variation in styles and therefore children could write their own poems taking inspiration from this variety.

[Zoe Hickey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cleverly written and I think children would really enjoy hearing the poems included. It would be interesting to look at the techniques used with older children as there are some poems with rhyming schemes included too. I would also encourage children to have a go at writing their own poem in line with one of the poem formats.

[Amy Brydon Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of poetry, which features a broad range of issues (some being quite sensitive.) I have to be honest; I find poetry quite hard to get into but Agard makes his poems very accessible to the reader through the language he uses. My favourite has to be 'On the run from colours', where to me, the colours represent emotions. I think this would be a great poem to use cross curricular in PSHE/literacy/art.

[Jane Scholey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this set of poems. Made all the more fantastic by Kitamura’s illustrations.
I can see how many of the poems can be used in class with chn. But it’s more about the enjoyment for me. A lovely, accessible poetry book. The Line is my favourite. 😢

[Jaimie Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky poems from The Rainmaker Danced by J. Agard provides forms & contexts for terrific imaginative writing. My personal favourite is 'The Dew-Stealers.' A fantastic poem with an extensive range of follow up activities. Allow children to visualise the imagery by reading the poem allowed as they paint using watercolours, ink and paint. Ask them what do they imagine? Once completed ask them to annotate their creation with key vocabulary or phrases the poem. Finally by comparing their creation to Kitamura's, allows time for reflection. Is it what they imagined? How does it compare?

[Ellie Flude · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of weird and wonderful poems that could be used as starting points for discussion and opinion based activities. I really enjoyed delving deeper into some of the hidden meanings and could easily see children using some, as a basis for their own creative writing (KS2).

[Sophie Snowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book which is comprised of a series of short, fun poems with excellent illustrations. I really enjoyed this book and I was intrigued by the way that it tackled some social issues or topics easily within poems.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some absolute gems. Small but perfectly formed.

[Helen Meaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

“From nature and science to identity, prepare to be transported on a journey through past and present.” This collection of 40 poems by John Agard covers a range of topics and themes that are both thoughtful and thought-provoking. The anthology was shortlisted for the CLIPPA Poetry Award in 2018.
I found when reading this anthology that some of the poems instantly spoke to me and I made a connection with them. Poems such as Progress which highlights what a waste of time it is to take out your anger on another human being and how quickly and easily you can cause devastation, or Line in which following the rules without questioning the reasons behind them led to the subject ultimately sacrificing his life. There is one poem that I decided to explore in greater depth as it stood out for me with its unique interpretation of the role of colours in our lives.

On the Run From Colours
The poem is told from the perspective of the person who has been and still is on the run from colours in their life. The colours are personified through their actions/intentions towards the narrator. I like the way that Agard has linked the colours to things that can be dangerous or get you into trouble. Typically in text links are made between colours and pleasant things. Yellow is usually a ‘happy’ colour, but in this poem it is the double-yellow line that results in a fine. The author chooses to end the poem with a puzzle and leaves the reader pondering the final problem posed by grey: 'Fog, what are you? Friend or enemy?' Is the fog offering the narrator a way to escape from all the colours? Would he have to live in a world without colour? If so what positives would he be missing out on? This could easily be used as the starting point for a class discussion/debate.
Every line of the text can be linked back to the real world. You could discuss with the children why being in the woods may not be a good thing? What the dangers are of swimming in the sea? What happens when you stop on a double yellow line?

The poem is full of exciting vocabulary, using words such as imprisoned, smothered, and misled and there is quite a dark and sinister tone to this poem, with blue trying to drown the narrator and red greeting them with hands of blood. Also when black offers a way out (to stop running) through sleep a nightmare gets in the way.

In order to fully engage with this text children will need to understand the links that are being made between the colours and the dangers. This can be done through partner –talk, group talk, snowballing up to whole class discussions. Links could then be made between the opening line Green misled me into the woods and familiar fairy-tales, such as Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel, where the woods are a dangerous place to be. Can the children think of any other texts that this poem has links to?

On the Run from Colours would be great to share as a read aloud poem as it would lead perfectly into a book talk session. What does the poem mean to the children? What do they think its message is? Why do they think that the person is on the run from colours? You could also use the final line of the poem as the basis for a class discussion/debate: Fog, what are you? Friend or enemy? Other activities might include rewriting the poem giving the colours endearing human qualities, how might they play a positive role in someone’s life? Or, writing together as a class to create a poem about colours. Get small groups of children to pick a colour out of a hat and create a line/ pair of lines of a poem about that colour.

[Sean Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is excellent, however, I feel that some poems are of far more value than others. Line, for example, is an excellent poem. It is succinct in its story and message, exploring the various ways in which a word as simple as 'line' can have so many different meanings, and translating one word into a lovely poem, clearly drawing from the words of Ralph Emerson: "Language is fossil poetry".

On a similar note, I loved On The Run From Colours! I loved Agard's personification of various colours and the way in which he connects colours with a method of murder (blue - the sea - drowning or green - trees - lost in the woods), it gave me a chuckle. It made the transition into the fourth and fifth all the more meaningful due to the juxtaposition.

I would be remiss if I did not also mention the work of Satoshi Kitamura, who used a special Japanese pen and ink, to create visually distinctive illustrations, stating that "It is the space between the lines that I find things to illustrate". These illustrations ground many of the poems , for example, An Off-The-Record Conversation and (to yet again mention) On The Run From Colours.

Unfortunately not all of the poems in this collection resonated with me, I struggled to grasp poems such as, The Naming of Giants and Mosquito. Though this is perhaps because Agard is a children's author and these poems are clearly oriented towards this audience. Whilst I personally find the contrast between the more meaningful poems and the humorous poem, aimed towards a younger demographic, a tad sharp I nonetheless appreciate it. I feel that this anthology would make for an excellent introduction to poetry for young children or for a class of children due to the wide variety of poems with various intentions, as well as the short length of most of the poetry.

[Melissa Buck · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rainmaker Danced by John Agard is a series of poems which highlight modern day problems that people may face in a language that children can understand.
• Likes
As previously mentioned, I like this book due to its way of combatting issues that may be seen in today’s society such as pollution, extinction or to increase in technology. My favourite poem was Homo Ambi-thumb-trous as it can help children to understand the impact of technology has on their lives today and how it is important to sometimes put down the screen.
• Dislikes
My main concern with this poetry book is the fact that the majority of the poems contain sensitive subjects that may upset or distress some children if it were read to them.
• Patterns/Puzzles
Like mentioned, with the use of modern-day problems it encourages the reader to think about these puzzling subjects and how they could be fixed.
• How would I use this in the classroom? And how would I grab the children’s attention and familiarise them with the text?
When using this in the classroom it is important to consider that many of the subjects may upset some children. It could be used to teach subjects like PHSE as it helps children to understand their personal impact on life and allows them to think about how they would be able make an actual change on this impact.

[Lauren Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The rainmaker danced offers a multitude of exciting emotional and wacky poems. One thing I particularly enjoyed in several of his poems is the common use of an unexpected plot twist at the end which I found to be both exciting and oddly satisfying.

As well as this in terms of identifying patterns throughout the anthology there appears to be emerging themes of nature and diversity.

If I was to use this text in the classroom I would probably choose to use it with upper key stage two as I myself found the message in some of the poems well hidden andquite difficult to recognise. However I do feel that these poems could be adapted for younger children and used in a different way.

As well as this while each individual poem offers the teaching of a range of different poetry devices, I also feel it would be valuable for children to be given the opportunity to explore patterns within the poems written by the same author.

Nevertheless my personal favourite was on the run from the colours as I thoroughly enjoyed the use of personification to create this explosion of colours in the readers mind.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having had the opportunity to look at a few of the poems from this book throughout the year, I thought I would take a look at all the others in this book and it did not disappoint. A lot of them have a slight humour to them that make them fun to read. Whereas there are some that are quite difficult to understand in terms of taking a specific meaning from them.
My favourite is still On the Run From Colours, purely because I took such a strong message from that and it has stuck with me since I read it for the first time back in October last year.
After reading these poems I might have to take a look at some of the others he has written in his different books!

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A range of poems which could be used with children in all years in primary school. Some cover topics such as death which could be used alongside PSHE teaching in all year groups. There are examples of lots of different styles of poetry in the collection allowing for different styles to be selected for example, for children to recreate their own poem in the same style. Some of the poems may not be suitable to use with certain children due to them being upsetting so this would need to be considered for the individuals in the class. A good poetry book to have in a primary classroom.

[Briony Bastin]

Lovely anthology.
There are poems in there that can cover a variety of literature features for various ages.

[Lucy Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable poetry book with a great range of themes and styles of poetry. A definite for the classroom library.

[Abi Calcutt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A delightful children’s poetry book with fun pictures to go with it! My particular favourite was ‘On the run from colours’. I love this idea that colours can represent different emotions/feelings/objects. This would be great to ask children what things they think of to represent a colour. I also enjoyed ‘seeking answers’ this was a fun poem about the difficulties of mathematics which would be fun to share in a maths lesson.

[Caroline Dougan · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the Run from Colours:
I like the personification of the colours within this poem because I think it allows the reader to vividly imagine colours coming alive and doing actions that humans do. This is a great opportunity for children to think about colours and whether they have certain personalities, considering what they would be like if they were to be alive.
I dislike the negative side to this poem. The colours are ‘out to get’ the character which presents the poem with a rather sinister atmosphere and, although some children would thoroughly enjoy that aspect, others may find it unsettling. Therefore, if using this poem, I would ensure I had first considered whether is was suitable for the children in the class, especially if teaching younger years.
There could be many different interpretations of this poem. Some children may see it as an imaginary world in which things like colours can be alive and influence you; a similar idea to Alice in Wonderland. Others, however, may consider it metaphorically, coming to the conclusion that the colours represent different people in the character’s life that are being influential, whether in a good way or bad.