Our Top Reads 2006 and 2007  

Charles Causley, Illustrated by Jill Gardiner
The Tail of the Trinosaur
Jane Nissen Books, £6.99, ISBN 9781903252239

A great poet who knew instinctively how and what to write about for children, Charles Causley was admired by writers and young readers alike.
His publication in the 1950's of a poem about a boy called Timothy Winters immediately grabbed readers attention and his poetry, which seemed to harness both traditional and modern forms, became much anthologized. However despite this success, Causley's inventive narrative poem The Tail of the Trinosaur fell mysteriously out of print. Now, thanks to  Jane Nissen Books, it is back on the shelves and with a solid introduction by Michael Rosen. Wonderfully illustrated by Jill Gardiner, The Tail of the Trinosaur is a fine testament to Causley's poetic genius.
The Trinosaur has been for asleep for ninety million years ( or thereabouts ) and now she's waking up! When she arrives in Dunborough town she is taken to be a threat but the townsfolk are eventually proven wrong in this original romp. Full of ingenious and hilarious twists, this book is a must read - a classic of narrative verse. Age 10+