Product Description

This illustrated collection of amusing poems and songs celebrating primary school life won the Signal Poetry Award in 1990. Meet Billy McBone and the Mad Professor’s Daughter, be amazed by the Longest Kiss Contest, shed a tear for the Boy Without a Name and – if you’re a stressed teacher – sing the Mrs Butler Blues.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10235 in Books
• Published on: 1991-08-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 107 pages

About the Author
Allan Ahlberg, a former teacher, postman, plumber's mate and grave digger, is in the super-league of children's writers. He has published over 100 children's books and, with his late wife Janet, created such award-winning picture books as EACH PEACH PEAR PLUM and THE JOLLY CHRISTMAS POSTMAN - both winners of the Greenaway Medal. He has also written prize-winning poetry and fiction for older readers.

Customer Reviews

Superb and Successful School Stanzas
This year (2009) is the 20th anniversary of this excellent sequel to 'Please Mrs Butler'. Although old favourites such as Mrs Butler and Derek Drew return, this is far more than another selection of poems about life in a primary school. There are lengthy poems such as 'Kicking a Ball' and 'Heard it in the Playground' that are suitable for choral speaking and I have heard them used as a centrepiece for school assemblies, including the now traditional Leavers' Assembly for Year 6's at the end of the Summer Term.
Like the other two books in this series, the poems are accompanied by perfect illustrations by Fritz Wegner which complement the poetry in a most satisfying manner. Apart from the classic lengthier poems which are extremely catchy, there are shorter ones such as 'Not Now, Nigel' about an extremely keen pupil and 'The Mrs Butler Blues'. However, possibly the finest example and one full of a mixture of emotions including memory, pathos and reflection is 'Leavers' Song' which is a staple ingredient of many final and memorable assemblies. An excerpt is:
"Goodbye, old school,
We'll miss you a lot -
The din and the dinners,
Believe it or not,
We'll miss you, Miss,
And remember you, Sir,
When lessons have faded
And homework's a blur,
Goodbye, old school,
We'll miss you a lot.........."

Something to pass on to a new generation
Many of these will not be heard now as you pass the playground, I have decided to pass these on and have even contacted the local school to offer to write these poems up as posters etc so that the new generation little darlings can share in our global heritage... Good reading.

old skool!
This book is an absolute classic from my primary school years - it has poems in that are real for any school kids! I loved this book and Miss Butler! Pure classics!