Scallywag Press proudly present Simon Lamb's dazzling debut collection of poetry, featuring fifty luminous poems, each written in exactly fifty words, fully-illustrated throughout by much-loved former Children's Laureate Chris Riddell. With subjects ranging from family, identity, and growing up, to the need for hope, the wonder of nature, and the very concept of poetry itself, Simon offers his poems as small nuggets of wisdom, warmth and wit to help readers of all ages navigate their lives. Complementing the always-present three-dimensional sense of drama and interaction with the reader, every poem is gifted its own double page spread, each one exquisitely illustrated by Chris Riddell, with his distinctive insight and flair adding new layers of meaning and joy to these already magical poems. A beautifully-produced hardback gift edition with textured cover, de-bossing and thick paper, this is a book to read, to keep, to love.

About the Author
SIMON LAMB is a poet, performer and storyteller. With a background in teaching, he works extensively in schools to ignite and inspire young learners by sharing his passion for poetry. He has lived on the west, east and north coasts of Scotland, never far from the sea, and currently lives in Ayrshire, where he is the Scriever, the writer-in-residence at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, 2022-2025. A Passing On of Shells is Simon's debut collection of poetry. CHRIS RIDDELL, the 2015-2017 UK Children's Laureate, is an award-winning illustrator and acclaimed political cartoonist. He is currently the only artist to have won the Kate Greenaway Medal three times. He has illustrated the work of many celebrated children's authors, and has long-loved working with poetry, illustrating several books by former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes early in his career. He lives in Brighton with his family.

Reviews
"Here are poems to make you smile, chuckle, laugh out loud and ponder. Entertaining and thought-provoking. Genius!" - Valerie Bloom, author of Stars with Flaming Tails;"A show-stopping adventure! Stirringly heartfelt. I hope it makes its way onto every child's bookshelf. For I know it will make its way into every child's heart." - Zaro Weil, author of When Poems Fall from the Sky;"These ingenious poems are crammed with wonder, insight and magic. Using just fifty words, Simon conjures whole worlds with his precise and playful use of language." - Kate Wakeling, author of Cloud Soup;"With its fifty invitations to write, A Passing On of Shells will leave poems in its wake wherever it goes. Whether questioning the stars or contemplating slugs, Simon Lamb's child-friendly take on the world invites readers of all ages to ask questions of their own." - Mandy Coe, author of Belonging Street;"The joy of the book is the variety of themes and images and styles: you turn the page and go somewhere new, see something new, think something new every time." - A. F. Harrold, author of The Book of Not Entirely Useful Advice;"Simon Lamb's touch is light and the poems skip along. Children will love the word play and humour." - Coral Rumble, author of Things That Should Be in a Poem;"Clever stuff and an invitation to young writers (and older ones too) to attempt something similar." - Brian Moses, author of Selfies with Komodos;"Delightful little poems full of wit, verve and imagination. I wish I'd written them!" - Joshua Seigal, author of Yapping Away;"Magical words are accompanied by Chris Riddell's masterful illustrations in this exciting debut collection. Simon Lamb has landed and is a welcome new voice on the children's poetry scene." - Colin West, author of Nutty Nonsense



Book Information
ISBN 9781915252128
Author Simon Lamb
Format Hardback
Page Count 112
Imprint Scallywag Press
Publisher Scallywag Press