Coral Rumble – författare

Here's a fun-filled collection of poems that break the rules - in more ways than one! Everyone breaks rules sometimes, and usually it's a bad thing to do. But are some rules made to be broken? And some break the rules of poetry. Should words run in a straight line? And do poems need to rhyme? These poems will make you laugh - and think...With witty illustrations and relatable topics, Coral's poetry for children will amuse and entertain.

Children will enjoy reading poems about many of the typical adventures and mishaps that occur when they go outside. There will be poems featuring school camps, family picnics and church outings, with related themes of animals, nature and weather, awe and wonder. As in her previous collection, Breaking the Rules, Coral writes with insight and humour, using a variety of different verse forms, enhancing both the book's visual and educational appeal.

Some people like to think that a collection of poems for children has to be either funny or serious, as if there are two types of children who will only like one or the other. But life isn't like that, is it! Some days we think hard, some days we cry and some days we laugh loudly and boldly, and so do children. Many of the poems in this collection are about real life. Others are about life as its found in the quirly imagination of the poet. Between the covers of this book, you will find poems that puzzle you, tell you stories, make you ask questions. There are dangerous poems, delicate poems and daft poems. One minute you will be hiding in a dusty PE cupboard with a friend who is sad, the next you will be buying ice cream from a polar bear. This is a roller coaster of poems, that mirrors the ups and downs of daily life. Whether you are in thinking mood, laughing mood, or a crazy mood, there are poems here that will keep you company.

Ava is hiding – hiding from the small cramped room where she lives with her two little siblings and her mum, hiding from the taunts and hostility she gets at school, hiding from her sometimes lonely and joyless life. But there is love here too. Her best friend Roxy, her wise Trinidadian Nan and a stray dog she befriends. Can Ava be brave enough to allow some light to shine into the darkest part of her being? Moving, emotive and poignant, Coral Rumble’s poetic novel is a compellingly beautiful read.

'Did you know, you can bump into a poem anywhere? You find them in houses, fields, oceans, cities, trees...the list is endless! I've even found poems in people's faces, when they laugh or cry, or get excited. Of course, you have to write the poems you find, because poems can't hold a pen or type on a keyboard.This book is full of poems I found when I was looking out for them. I had to dig some out of my imagination - ouch! You’ll discover in the pages some things that I think should be in a poem, but I'm sure you can think of more. Go hunting!’Coral Rumble's warm, vibrant, exciting world of poems is complemented by Shih-Yu Lin's expressive colour illustrations.

In her first work of fiction Coral tells the story of ten-year-old Jakub Polanski who cares for his single mum, Maria, who has multiple sclerosis. The weight of responsibility has made Jakub forget he is a child, and his life outside of school is full of adult concerns. Everyone is worried about Jakub’s mental health. To take the pressure off his mum and give Jakub a break, life-long family friends, the Koniks, take Jakub on holiday to Italy. While there Jakub learns about Marta’s passion for writing poetry and storytelling, and she shows him that freedom and adventure are there for the taking. He discovers he is funny and smart and is not only defined by being a carer. And, in Italy, Jakub finds hope as he listens to an old, wise woodsman, who teaches him about otters, especially one injured otter called Piccolo.