National Trust: I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree: A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year (Poetry Collections)

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I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree, named after the first line of Judith Nicholls' poem 'Windsong', is a lavishly illustrated collection of 366 nature poems - one for every day of the year, including leap years. Filled with familiar favourites and new discoveries, written by a wide variety of poets, including -

A real Hymn to nature.’ says Nosy Crow of this outstanding poetry anthology and I wholeheartedly agree. Stylish and distinctive but with real child appeal. A book to share, educate, entertain and to treasure.” One of the reasons I like I am The Seed That Grew The Tree is that it sums up Kids of the Wild’s ethos. It is a book for children, all about discovering nature through reading, which creates the learning and growth that leads all of us, children and adults alike, to transformation. This is a book I would definitely have in my classroom. I could see this being used as a nice, peaceful way to start the school day. I think it presents a lovely opportunity to bring the class together and create a ‘poetry environment’ and ultimately spark a child’s interest in poetry. The book captures the complexity and diversity of nature very well and as we move through it, we are made aware of the changing seasons and a variety of living things. I believe this poetry book could be used for a variety of topics/lessons, for example: I think if this were to be used in a school setting, it would be a gentle and fun reading session for children to be introduced to older poets, and get a sense of appreciation for nature. Toen ik jaren geleden van Sinterklaas ‘Kom maar dichter’ kreeg wist ik nog niet wat dat boek voor mij zou betekenen. Het was niet alleen een opstapje richting een kast met 3 meter poëzie, het was daarnaast ook een boek dat mijn Bijbel zou worden. Een boek dat je leest, herleest, doorbladert en waarin je blijft hangen. Een boek om in te verdwalen en de waan van de dag los te laten. Nooit gedacht dat ik 20 jaar later weer zo een boek zou tegenkomen. Een snuister-, koesterboek. Een boek dat kan troosten, doen lachen, glimlachen, je hart verwarmen, je liefde voor de wereld kan vergroten.The collection of 366 poems (to make sure leap years are covered too!) contains a really interesting mix of poems from well-known favourites from Christina Rossetti and Walter de la Mare to more modern offerings by Benjamin Zephaniah and Carol Ann Duffy. The book is structured into monthly sections and the poems accompanied by beautiful illustrations that celebrate the beauty of the natural world and changing seasons. June – Bed in Summer – Louis Stevenson – This poem could be used to explore other countries around the world and how seasons differ across continents. For example, the children could write a comparative version of the poem using a country such as Australia as focal point. They could investigate how seasons can have different characteristics or occur at alternatives times of year compared to England. This wonderful collection of poetry offers a beautifully illustrated poem for each day of the year and a diverse collection for every month and season. The publisher of this collection, Kate Wilson, explains her intention for this book to build upon a collection of poetry she herself had loved as a young person and ‘to make something that was more beautiful and easier to find your way into’ and ‘to make a book that helped you see the world around you’. This collection is inspiring, educational and presents a diversity of different poets and literary techniques. I truly believe there is something for everyone hidden within this book and that this would be a perfect addition to any classroom and anyone’s book shelf. Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Gift of the Year 2018, this lavish poetry collection is a perfect present for any age. August – What is Pink – Christina Rossetti – This poem could be used within science, geography, history, and art to explore colour and where they can be found within nature, across different environments.

January – The New Year – Anonymous – This poem helps you reflect and consider each year as having its own personality. The children could use this poem to support writing their own poem about the characteristics of years that have passed. This could be linked to history and thinking about the different time periods and their characteristics. As well as how the world has changed over the recent years that have passed as well as decades. Science/Geography could be touched on here to think about climate and environmental changes. December – Red Sky at Night – I would use this poem to explore the English language, different cultures and explore old sayings that have been passed down throughout generations. The children could choose a topic and create their own sayings to go with them. I like that the poem for my birthday is written by someone who's name looks similar to mine... Gene (Gén). If using this book in English specifically for poetry, I would use it to highlight the different forms of poetry such as haiku’s, riddles, acrostics and shape poems. I would also use the book to reference when children begin to learn to write poetry and explore writing their own versions (examples of when I would do this are highlighted below). I would also use this in English to explore the different ways poetry could be read aloud, i.e. explore how RAP lyrics are a form of poetry; specifically standing for rhythm and poetry. The way a poem is performed can change the feeling or message you receive when listening to or reading the poem on paper. November – Anonymous – As with previous poems on key dates this poem could be used to look at the history of ‘bonfire night’ as well as explore the tradition of fireworks. The children could create their own soundscapes and poems, as well as art to describe and express this event.January – The Garden Year – Sara Coleridge - I enjoyed how this poem highlighted each month of the year and the changing seasons. I would have the class write their own version, describing what they felt were the key attributes to each month of the year. This could also be used to support the learning of month names (maths) as well as the season, exploring characteristics of seasons both in England and across the world (science/geography).

I don’t have too many others to compare this book to but so far, this has been my favorite. The design is colorful and cute, the poems curated here are almost all wonderful. Exploring and comparing the four seasons – What happens during the four seasons? What changes do you notice in nature? How do the seasons affect us and animals? March – Paper Dragons – Susan Alton Schmeltz – A fun poem in which children can make their own kites and version of the poem and describe the movement of kite in the air. This could also be linked to history and exploring traditional toys throughout the time periods.

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