Happy (belated) World Book Day. Who better to celebrate than discuss my absolute favourite author…
Of course the witty, whimisical and wonderful Michael Rosen. Renown for capturing children’s hearts from poetry to books, such as nostalgic favourites like “We’re going on a bear hunt” to becoming an internet sensation “noice”. It was a dream come true to watch him perform many of his iconic poems and entrancing storytelling last December. Let alone to have a little chat, hug and book signing! He evoked a gentleness and sincerity in our conversation (about teaching!). It transported me back to my ten year old self when he visited my primary school. I vividly remember him performing “bendy bendy pencil”, with the same enthusiasm. Despite his infinite successes from children’s laureate, guardian writer, podcaster and writer, it’s hard to forget that he is only human. In fact, he was one of the first people in England to be hospitalised at the start of the pandemic in 2020 at the vulnerable age of 74. The NHS put him into an induced coma where he lay for forty night and forty days (yes, he made a biblical Joke about this!) whereby he finally woke up to the sounds of his children’s voices over the phone. Determined to reclaim his power of speech and mobility, he also went on a psychological and self-reflective journey which he vividly retells in, Get Better.
I was compleyely hooked for the entirety of his inspiring life story due to the abundance of anecdotes and tangents. From losing his eighteen year old son to Meningitis (get your jabs uni students!), to discovering late in life that he had an autoimmune thyroid condition and reflecting on his family history of jewish war survivors, it was a reminder that everyone bears their own, or generational traumas. As my first read of 2024, it was not what I was expecting. I thought it was a self-help guide, which it partially was due to his reflections encouraging the reader to do the same. My favourite part was end where he listed all that he was grateful for in life, since he was given a second chance to embrace it, and he left extra pages for the reader to begin own creative endeavours.
If you’re as obsessed with Michael Rosen, fancy a little life pick-me-up as we countdown to summer or want to rediscover the beauty of life in a humorous way, then this is the book for you. It’s a biased 5/5 for me!
Amber Reads something 