A Whale of a Time: A Funny Poem for Each Day of the Year

by Lou Peacock, Matt Hunt (Illustrations)

A collection of 366 hilarious poems about animals, families, school, food, holidays, and much more!
  From the creators behind the award-winning anthologies Sing a Song of Seasons and Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright,  this rib-tickling illustrated anthology is filled with unforgettable classics and new discoveries, including poetry in translation. The spectacular range of poems for children includes work by 
Each poem is brought to life by Matt Hunt's comical and vibrant artwork. Whether shared out loud or read alone, this is the perfect book to bring a smile—every day of the year!
  With a ribbon marker and glossy double-page spreads, this is the perfect gift for any occasion.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens

336 pages, Hardcover

Published September 19, 2023

About the author

Lou Peacock is lucky enough have one of the best jobs in the world: "Head of Picture books" at Nosy Crow. She has a degree in English literature from Oxford University, and nearly twenty years’ experience in children’s publishing. She started her editorial career working on novelty books and poetry, but has focused on picture books for the last 18 years. She often puts her author hat on to write picture books for Nosy Crow and has a notebook full of scribbled ideas.

Reviews

[Melissa Wood · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. We are so far behind and have no motivation to catch up.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book to gift a family or elementary classroom teacher, look no further. This book with a poem for each day of the year is perfect. Reading only a poem a day for about two weeks, I found all the selections amusing. For those wondering about the title, checkout the poem for January 2, Although * by Tony Langham. I even read a poem by one of my old favorites, Ogden Nash, Good Riddance, But Now What? ** for December 31. Yep, Nash still makes me chuckle.
Since I did not read this book in its entirety, I am giving it 4 stars at this time. Star rating will be adjusted if I finish it in the future.

*Although by Tony Langham
Although
I had

butterflies
in my
stomach

and ants
in my
pants

and a bee
in my
bonnet

and a flea
in my
ear —

I had
a whale
of a time.

**Good Riddance, But Now What? by Ogden Nash
Come, children, gather round my knee;
Something is about to be.

Tonight’s December thirty-first,
Something is about to burst.

The clock is crouching, dark and small,
Like a time bomb in the hall.

Hark! It’s midnight, children dear.
Duck! Here comes another year.

[Tracy Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is of a sample only.

It's a good thing 2024 is a leap year, so all 366 poems in this anthology will get an accurate airing. I love a book where you read a designated poem or excerpt of a novel each day, and the cheerfully bright illustrations add a smile each time you venture between the covers of this special book.

Whilst I have to admit I didn't recognise all the talented individuals included in this sample, there were a reassuring number of familiar ones, and I imagine the same will be said for the whole book. It will be fun to become acquainted with new poets throughout the year.

I was able to read a sample of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Nosy Crow, but the opinions expressed are my own. This is a great way to start a nighttime routine and explore some excellent poetry at the same time. Recommended.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

A Whale of a time is a fun book of poems for every day of the year with an additional one for leap years. This book is so much fun and brings laughter and inspiration to the reader. The illustrations are bright and fun and match perfectly to the poems inside. Just a out every subject you could think of is within this book- school, seasons, clothing, animals, weather, food, witches etc and with a poem for every day of the year would make a perfect bedtime book to enjoy with your child.

[karla_bookishlife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guaranteed fun and giggles as you read through this wonderful anthology of poems from a wide range of poets. There are 366 belly-busting, laughter filled poems to fill each day of the year, including a leap year. Nosy Crow has once again created a stunning must- have collection for the whole family to enjoy. My kids and I continue to adore I am the Seed that Grew the Tree, Tiger Tiger Burning Bright, plus And Everything Will Be Glad To See You, so we cannot wait to add the hardback edition of this to our collection on publication day on September 14th. My kids and I thoroughly enjoyed this sampler with laugh out loud poems like Elephoney, The Dentist and the Crocodile, Octopus, Which Witch?, and My Woollen Sweater Itches Me. There are poems about animals, school, clothes, food, witches and more from much loved poets such as Maya Angelou, Roald Dahl, Wendy Cope, Brian Bilston, Benjamin Zephaniah, Michael Rosen and many, many more, all brought together by Lou Peacock. There is something to tickle the fancy of the whole family. Like all the other Nosy Crow anthologies, this is one we will want to own a physical copy of due to its sheer beauty. The illustrations by Matt Hunt are stunning, and the hardcopy will boast a luxurious cloth binding with a ribbon marker. I gift these books often due to their wonderful content and gorgeous appearance. #awhaleofatime #loupeacock #matthunt #netgalley #nosycrow #sampler

[Bee Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Please note I read a sampler, not the whole book)

Nosy Crow's series of poetry books has been one of the highlights of the Christmas season for the last few years for me, This year's title is going to be just as amazing, from this short extract.

Happily the publishers have offered a sample of pages from across the whole year rather than just one section, so this gave me a good chance to see some different months. I can see that there are witches at Hallowe'en, so I'm sure there will be other themed sections as well, and there also seems to be some grouping of similar poems together.

I love the illustrations; it's all the same illustrator, but he's managed to vary his style here and there and he also cleverly makes the same illustration serve a couple of poems. I can't wait to spend some time poring over the whole book!

A fabulous addition to the series, and one I'm really looking forward to reading.

(Edited after reading the book itself)

If you've had anything to do with children's books the last few Christmases, you've seen Nosy Crow's poetry collections. A4, hardback, glossy paper, colour illustrations - they're amazingly beautiful. Whale may be the best yet (I do have a soft spot for Tiger myself!)

Each collection has its own hook; Seed was nature poems, Tiger was animals, Everything was all by women and girls, and now Whale is humorous poetry. I've always found poetry a bit hit and miss personally, it's not my favourite genre, but I tore through this. There's a huge mix of styles, from haiku to multi-verse, rhyming to free form and everything in between, which kept it from getting boring. Some days have only a few lines, some have much longer, so over a year you wouldn't know what you were getting!

I love that each chapter has an index so you get an idea of what's coming up before you start. It's something not many books of this type bother with. The first line index and author index at the back are very helpful as well. (So much Spike Milligan!) The grouping of the poems is done really well - ie there's spooky poems around Hallowe'en and holiday ones in the summer, but there are countless mini themes as well, a spread that's all about cats or one featuring several poems where the sounds are the important thing. It's so clever.

I've left my favourite aspect till last (Sorry, every other aspect, I do love you as well, but what can I say?) The illustrations are absolutely amazing. Many of the spreads have three or four poems on, and the illustrations match everything without seeming contrived or strange. It's actual real life magic and I can't get enough of it.

I can't wait to be able to sell this, and I can't see how they'll better it next year - but they will. They always do.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

With thanks to the author, publishers Nosy Crow, and NetGalley for providing me with a DRC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a beautifully illustrated book of poetry, with a funny poem for each day and one for a leap year. The book is targeted at children, but equally adults will enjoy it. The images are vivid and engaging and enhance the enjoyment of each of the verses, while the poems themselves cover a wide range of topics so that there will be be something of interest to all readers in the book.

I sought out the hardback edition from my local library after reading the same provided, and the same high quality is maintained throughout the physical book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only had the sample edition to read, but having just read a snippet of this collection of poems I know that other readers are going to be in for a real treat.
The variety of poems is fantastic, some had me laughing, others had me nodding along thinking "so true".
I'm sure there's plenty of poems in this collection that will appeal to every type of poetry fan out there.
The artwork is beautiful, and one of the things which really drew me to this book. The colours pop on the page and the art is themed towards the poems featured on each page.

It's a really fun read.

[Bzz Kolla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Nosey Crow for this eCopy to review

We loved the sample poems, the illustrations really brought the poems to life and they caused plenty of laughter in fact we had a whale of a time reading them, they were such fun with lots of rhymes and tongue twister bits! Will definitely be on our Christmas list to get a copy

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely beautiful book! This is a must for anyone with young children, or grandmas like me who love reading to their grandchildren when they come for a sleepover. I chuckled out loud and learned some of the shorter poems off by heart. The illustrations are fantastic, and the book is now on my Christmas list. Highly, highly recommended. A definite 5 stars from me!

[Rosemary Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great selection of poetry which I would read to the class as part of our daily poetry session. This collection would also make a great English unit. It also links to our RE and Geography units on caring for our planet and animals. The amazing illustrations hook the reader in too and can be used as inspiration in Art lessons.

[Alexis Hiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has many different poems for young readers. I did not read all the poems in the book, but I did read about 6 or 7. The poems I did read were very cute and silly. This is definitely another book I would include in my future classroom library. It introduces young students to poetry in a way that easily digestible and fun!

[Alivia Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of poems then it is a story. This book includes poems for each day of the year. The illustrations are vibrant and inviting. The poems are varied and interesting. This book celebrates curiosity and adventure. It is fun and engaging for young children to read and could also be something good for the teachers as well.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly British, these daily poems are a mix of rhyming, haiku, list poems, etc. Too many of the, I'll use the word "sayings," rather than poems, are assigned to Anonymous. If we're going to do POEMS, as in the title, let's have poems. If we're going to do traditional sayings, which has value, let's do that, but not randomly combined like they are here.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great anthology of happy poems. It is beautifully illustrated. With the wide variety of poems on offer, it will be a valuable source of inspiration for teaching poems.

[LudmilaM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginative, inventive and fun. A delight from beginning to end.

[Emily Thirion · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute and lovely.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of poems and a marvelous concept of daily poetry. The physical book is too large and much too heavy for a child to drag to mama’s lap. Perfect for classroom use.

[Meredith Nunley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so proud of us - an entire year of poetry! This was excellent.

[Sharon Bromberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

some are funny, but also there are weak ones in the collection.

[Mhd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! Beautiful, bold art work. Really does have a short poem for every day: each date labeled as a year slides by. Large format hardback and it's physically heavy, as in a true doorstop! Read enough to know it will make a very good gift for Leo, Nathan, Emily, Lucy ... etc. [led here by BookPage blurb]

[Katey Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb collection of fabulous poems with excellent illustrations.

[Ravenclaw Library Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Whale Of A Time by Lou Peacock is a great book with amazing poems enough for one a day and of course one for a leap year. I liked this book and the illustrations are bright and beautiful.