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On the Move: Poems about Migration
In a masterful new collaboration, personal poems and poignant art illuminate the experience of refugees and immigrants everywhere.
That’s why
it can happen again.
It does happen again.
It has happened again.
Some of Michael Rosen’s relatives were lost before he was born, in the Holocaust. First, he wondered about them. And he wrote poems. Next, he searched for their stories. And he wrote poems. Then he found their stories. And he wrote poems. Now, in a companion book to The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II, Michael Rosen has brought together forty-nine of his most powerful poems, exploring the themes of migration and displacement through the lens of his childhood in the shadow of World War II, the lives of his relatives during that war, and migration, refugees, and displacement today and tomorrow, here, there, and everywhere. Throughout, atmospheric watercolors from master illustrator Quentin Blake evoke the hardship, exhaustion, isolation, and companionship of being on the move. At once intimate and universal, On the Move probes the power of art to adapt, bear witness, and heal.
That’s why
it can happen again.
It does happen again.
It has happened again.
Some of Michael Rosen’s relatives were lost before he was born, in the Holocaust. First, he wondered about them. And he wrote poems. Next, he searched for their stories. And he wrote poems. Then he found their stories. And he wrote poems. Now, in a companion book to The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II, Michael Rosen has brought together forty-nine of his most powerful poems, exploring the themes of migration and displacement through the lens of his childhood in the shadow of World War II, the lives of his relatives during that war, and migration, refugees, and displacement today and tomorrow, here, there, and everywhere. Throughout, atmospheric watercolors from master illustrator Quentin Blake evoke the hardship, exhaustion, isolation, and companionship of being on the move. At once intimate and universal, On the Move probes the power of art to adapt, bear witness, and heal.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
3 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Michael Rosen
599 books538 followersMichael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 6, 2020
I've never really been much of a poetry fan but I can appreciate the art and sometimes the words just hit you and then you think, now I get it. Well this happened when reading On the Move.
Michael Rosen opens with the difference between Migration and Refugees. He explains that people migrate to other countries to start a new life, new job, etc but they have the opportunity to return home whereas refugees don't have that luxury, they have to leave, force to by famine, war, weather, etc.
The book is split into four sections:-
- Family and Friends
- The War
- The Migrant in me
- On the Move Again.
Within each section is a range of poems that all feel quite personal and probing into Michael's life and his families life. He takes us back in time to when he was just a boy and talks about growing up and his Jewish heritage.
The sections on war are heartfelt and poignant and make you stop and think.
Michael Rosen is known for his humour, unbeat nature but these poems are not they are touching and leave you analysing them.
It is a beautiful book that has the added benefit or being illustrated by one of my favourite artists, Quentin Blake. It is a book which is marketed towards children but I believe that adults will love this book, probably more than children would.
Michael Rosen opens with the difference between Migration and Refugees. He explains that people migrate to other countries to start a new life, new job, etc but they have the opportunity to return home whereas refugees don't have that luxury, they have to leave, force to by famine, war, weather, etc.
The book is split into four sections:-
- Family and Friends
- The War
- The Migrant in me
- On the Move Again.
Within each section is a range of poems that all feel quite personal and probing into Michael's life and his families life. He takes us back in time to when he was just a boy and talks about growing up and his Jewish heritage.
The sections on war are heartfelt and poignant and make you stop and think.
Michael Rosen is known for his humour, unbeat nature but these poems are not they are touching and leave you analysing them.
It is a beautiful book that has the added benefit or being illustrated by one of my favourite artists, Quentin Blake. It is a book which is marketed towards children but I believe that adults will love this book, probably more than children would.
October 25, 2020
4.5 stars
This is a stunning book of poetry with illustrations that hit at the heart. It also has a compelling story to be read as the whole, steeped in history, migration, war and prejudice. It is aimed at 9-12 year olds but like all the best Pixar and Disney animations, it has a level that speaks to the adult and I’m emotional just writing this review; it touched me deeply.
You can’t speak of it.
It is the unspeakable.
You can’t say it.
It is the unsayable.
You can’t say what you know.
It is the unknowable.
Rosen navigates his family’s story, from his own eyes and stories he’d heard. The themes are sometimes potentially distressing but they have much to say about the past and today.
This isn’t one of Rosen/Blake’s upbeat books but it is still wonderful like his Sad Book and it will open up these experiences to many readers, young and older.
Thank you to Walker Books for the early review copy.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog.
This is a stunning book of poetry with illustrations that hit at the heart. It also has a compelling story to be read as the whole, steeped in history, migration, war and prejudice. It is aimed at 9-12 year olds but like all the best Pixar and Disney animations, it has a level that speaks to the adult and I’m emotional just writing this review; it touched me deeply.
You can’t speak of it.
It is the unspeakable.
You can’t say it.
It is the unsayable.
You can’t say what you know.
It is the unknowable.
Rosen navigates his family’s story, from his own eyes and stories he’d heard. The themes are sometimes potentially distressing but they have much to say about the past and today.
This isn’t one of Rosen/Blake’s upbeat books but it is still wonderful like his Sad Book and it will open up these experiences to many readers, young and older.
Thank you to Walker Books for the early review copy.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog.
November 14, 2023
This moving collection explores themes of migration and displacement via poems the author (famous for, among other works, his children's picture book We're Going on a Bear Hunt) wrote about his family. Feeling that he would never be able to get at the full truth, he wrote poems speculating about what happened to his extended family in World War II; as he discovered more about their stories, particularly those who were killed in the Holocaust, he wrote more, and then extrapolated their stories to encompass the reality of immigrants and refugees today and across time and place. As he says in the introduction, "Chances are, if you look into your own family history, no matter where you come from, you will arrive at the story of your relatives' migration to where you live now' (xi).
There are many sad and poignant poems in this collection; there is a palpable sense of loss on Rosen's part which extends to all of those murdered by the Nazis whose lives were cut short, a sense that we can never know who they would become or what they would do to improve humankind, start families and contribute to their communities - those "who at one moment were as safe as houses, and the next, had no houses to be safe in" (111). But there are hopeful poems as well; as Rosen reminds us, "Everyone is somewhere first" (113) and "Home is where you find it" (115).
The book also includes a reference list of charities and organizations supporting refugees, as well as a list of charities and organizations for Holocaust education. The illustrations, done by Sir Quentin Blake (famous for his illustrations of Roald Dahl's novels), are also heartfelt and affecting.
There are many sad and poignant poems in this collection; there is a palpable sense of loss on Rosen's part which extends to all of those murdered by the Nazis whose lives were cut short, a sense that we can never know who they would become or what they would do to improve humankind, start families and contribute to their communities - those "who at one moment were as safe as houses, and the next, had no houses to be safe in" (111). But there are hopeful poems as well; as Rosen reminds us, "Everyone is somewhere first" (113) and "Home is where you find it" (115).
The book also includes a reference list of charities and organizations supporting refugees, as well as a list of charities and organizations for Holocaust education. The illustrations, done by Sir Quentin Blake (famous for his illustrations of Roald Dahl's novels), are also heartfelt and affecting.
February 22, 2021
Another wonderful Christmas gift from my son and family. This book is, according to the publishers, for ages 9 and up, and I reckon it would make a very good introduction to the subject, both of migration, and of the Holocaust. Like Art Spiegelman’s The Complete Maus, it gives an entry to the subject without the stark horror of photographs.
I’m glad to own a copy, as I’ll want to revisit these poems, which range from poignant and touching to comical- well worth reading and highly recommended.
I’m glad to own a copy, as I’ll want to revisit these poems, which range from poignant and touching to comical- well worth reading and highly recommended.
September 16, 2020
Oh my gosh my heart. This collection of poems has be sobbing. I loved My Friend Roger, which broke my heart, English Literature, which made me think and Don’t Drown that made me cry. A beautiful collection, Michael Rosen is an amazing poet and Quentin Blake’s illustrations are, as always, perfect.
October 23, 2020
Remember the first time you watched a kids movie, as an adult, and you sat back and thought, "I'm not sure that was really just for kids"? For me that happened when I watched, "Up", which is unquestionably a kids movie but has the degree of heart which just kills you as an adult, rips your emotions out and hangs you out to dry. Well, Michael Rosen's poetry anthology about Migration, but really about War, replicates that exact feeling. It's for kids, but it isn't JUST for kids.
I was utterly captivated by this beautiful collection, filled with history, war and heartfelt stories. I would challenge anyone not to feel SOMETHING when they read this book. Sure, it's for kids if you like, but it's probably one of the most emotional poetry anthologies I've read in a very long time!
ARC provided from walker books in exchange for an honest review.
I was utterly captivated by this beautiful collection, filled with history, war and heartfelt stories. I would challenge anyone not to feel SOMETHING when they read this book. Sure, it's for kids if you like, but it's probably one of the most emotional poetry anthologies I've read in a very long time!
ARC provided from walker books in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2021
I first know Michael Rosen, from his picture book called "Sad Book" and that book made me cry. It helped me so much when my grandpa passed away last year.
Now this book, had me think and made me teary as well.
Reading this book is like reading a glimpse of Michael's family life, which it is. It is so personal and it feels almost like reading his journal. The way he writes is just beautiful and compelling. A short read but a very meaningful one. Relevant then and now too. A must read for everyone and a great introduction and insight for young reader about WW2.
Also, Quentin's Blake illustrations really stunning!
Now this book, had me think and made me teary as well.
Reading this book is like reading a glimpse of Michael's family life, which it is. It is so personal and it feels almost like reading his journal. The way he writes is just beautiful and compelling. A short read but a very meaningful one. Relevant then and now too. A must read for everyone and a great introduction and insight for young reader about WW2.
Also, Quentin's Blake illustrations really stunning!
April 20, 2022
Such a poignant collection of poetry. Cataloguing different experiences centred around migration, we read about intergenerational trauma seen through the eyes of a child, loss and searching for one's history, the irony on a lot of discourse around migrants.
This is written for 9-12 year olds but so accessible to anyone (I would also say, poetry written for older children is perfect for adults intimidated by poetry, a gateway drug if you will.) And the illustrations are tremendous and elevate the poetry so terrifically.
This is written for 9-12 year olds but so accessible to anyone (I would also say, poetry written for older children is perfect for adults intimidated by poetry, a gateway drug if you will.) And the illustrations are tremendous and elevate the poetry so terrifically.
November 17, 2020
Poignant and vivid - from the dispossessed of WWII to those today searching for safety.
You can see how close to Rosen’s heart this subject is, and when you read the things first few poems it is clear why. Michael Rosen’s own family experiences are touching, upsetting, they epitomise what so many have gone through and give it a personal spin.
From the migration of WWII, Rosen takes previous writing and separates it into sections bringing us more up to date, making his own family tree clear as he goes.
I would have liked, for curiosity’s sake, a few pages of information about Michael’s relatives, telling the story of the people we see in his poems, for though the poems do give snippets I would have liked to known their backgrounds and what they went on to do.
Some poems were based on real incidents, and again, the background of these might help readers put them in the context that Rosen had in mind when writing them (histories and facts about migrants travelling by sea, for instance).
There were only a couple of poems that I didn’t connect with. I enjoyed Rosen’s reminiscences of his youngest years and older relatives, they were quite vivid in both period and personality (loved the Hebrew words). And the final poem, Today, should form part of the curriculum.
Rosen includes a selection of resources at the end, books and websites regarding refugees and Holocaust education in particular, and recordings of his own work online.
Blake, usually full of humour and fun manages to convey a lot of sympathy in his drawings, faceless but weary characters of all ages, in distinct but still recognisable in form as they travel with their belongings.
Poignant and definitely has a place in schools as part of ongoing discussions of current events and recent history.
For ages 8-13.
With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.
You can see how close to Rosen’s heart this subject is, and when you read the things first few poems it is clear why. Michael Rosen’s own family experiences are touching, upsetting, they epitomise what so many have gone through and give it a personal spin.
From the migration of WWII, Rosen takes previous writing and separates it into sections bringing us more up to date, making his own family tree clear as he goes.
I would have liked, for curiosity’s sake, a few pages of information about Michael’s relatives, telling the story of the people we see in his poems, for though the poems do give snippets I would have liked to known their backgrounds and what they went on to do.
Some poems were based on real incidents, and again, the background of these might help readers put them in the context that Rosen had in mind when writing them (histories and facts about migrants travelling by sea, for instance).
There were only a couple of poems that I didn’t connect with. I enjoyed Rosen’s reminiscences of his youngest years and older relatives, they were quite vivid in both period and personality (loved the Hebrew words). And the final poem, Today, should form part of the curriculum.
Rosen includes a selection of resources at the end, books and websites regarding refugees and Holocaust education in particular, and recordings of his own work online.
Blake, usually full of humour and fun manages to convey a lot of sympathy in his drawings, faceless but weary characters of all ages, in distinct but still recognisable in form as they travel with their belongings.
Poignant and definitely has a place in schools as part of ongoing discussions of current events and recent history.
For ages 8-13.
With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.
April 21, 2021
In this moving collection, Michael Rosen writes about the refugees and migrants in his own family, his experiences of discovering - and uncovering - the stories of his family who moved to escape Nazism and those who died in the Holocaust, and attitudes to migrants and refugees today. It’s commemorative, celebratory, political and affectionate, suitable for readers of all ages. It's also beautifully and poignantly illustrated by Quentin Blake. Rosen has a straightforward and warm style of talking to his audience that means he can address these difficult and traumatic subjects in a disarming yet powerful way. These stories and messages are not cluttered by waffle, big showy-off words or bombastic literary pretensions. His poems are simple and unfussy and pack a greater punch because of that. As ever, Michael Rosen just writes great poems.
May 14, 2022
A poignant collection of original poems all themed around the idea of home. Rosen writes about his childhood growing up in London, the son of refugees, about his relatives who were lost in the Holocaust and finding them again in documents and photographs. Some of the poems readers may recognize from his earlier work The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II. Rosen also addresses the current refugee situation happening around the world. There are no easy answers in the book for Rosen or for the readers. Back matter includes Resources and How to Help. Illustration are done in haunting shades of gray and blue.
January 10, 2022
"All I know is that they were there
at the beginning of the war
and they weren't there at the end."
This is a beautiful and hard-hitting read about migration, war and displacement. The book is split into 4 segments, with the second and third parts striking a really deep chord with me. Part poetry and part memoir, the book also contains illustrations that are both breathtaking and haunting.
Don't miss this one.
November 29, 2021
Breathtakingly sad and so important. A must read.
September 12, 2022
The format was perfect for the topic. My favorites were The Absentees, Never Again (especially poignant to read on this date, 9/11), and Don’t Drown.
October 11, 2022
Engaging, great juxtaposition of family history and modern contexts. An important topic.
June 28, 2021
What you leave behind
Won't leave your mind
But home is where you find it.
My favourite books to read are the ones that have meaning. That are written from the heart and soul. The ones that the author just had to write, the stories just had to be told.
I feel like this book, On The Move - Poems About Migration is exactly that. It's filled with beautifully written poems about Michael's childhood, growing up as a child of Jewish migrants. It has poems about family members who went missing during the WW2 and poems about migration in general.
It's just beautiful. I loved all of the poems but some stand out favourites were Cousin Michael, The Migrants in Me and On The Move again.
Some are witty, some are heart grabbing, all are brilliant.
I highly recommend this book for you and your children (it's aimed at a younger audience) especially if they are currently learning about WW2
Won't leave your mind
But home is where you find it.
My favourite books to read are the ones that have meaning. That are written from the heart and soul. The ones that the author just had to write, the stories just had to be told.
I feel like this book, On The Move - Poems About Migration is exactly that. It's filled with beautifully written poems about Michael's childhood, growing up as a child of Jewish migrants. It has poems about family members who went missing during the WW2 and poems about migration in general.
It's just beautiful. I loved all of the poems but some stand out favourites were Cousin Michael, The Migrants in Me and On The Move again.
Some are witty, some are heart grabbing, all are brilliant.
I highly recommend this book for you and your children (it's aimed at a younger audience) especially if they are currently learning about WW2
January 21, 2023
Poetry is not normally my thing. I find it difficult as a literary medium but this little collection spoke volumes to me.
Made me think, laugh and cry.
Made me think, laugh and cry.
September 18, 2020
Michael Rosen is one of my heros - I’ve read his books to my own children and to children at schools where I’ve taught. I listened to stories of his battle with Covid and his poetry tribute to the NHS. I hadn’t finished the introduction of this collection before I was crying as Rosen unpicks the difference between a ‘migrant’ and a ‘refugee’ and talks of a world without borders, for everyone. This collection is about people on the move, not through their own volition but as a result of war and persecution; what that human movement looks like and its impact on future generations. This is poetry that flows from heart to pen, not harnessed to rhyme or structure. There are poems about prejudice, families travelling to concentration camps, living in another land, sailing across unfriendly seas, of not drowning. Poetry has such a direct and concise way of conveying a story. Quentin Blake’s illustrations are powerful, extending the story in simple pictures using blacks, blues and greys. I shed tears from start to finish, for Oscar and Rachel who were so close, for what these poems say about our humanity, for those families trying not to drown. This collection is for everyone to read, enjoy but mostly understand. It is a gift for teachers - a tool for class discussion about identity and humanity, for history lessons, and a stimulus for creative writing. There’s a wealth of additional resources listed at the back. This would make a powerful visual exhibition or theatre production. With thanks Netgalley and Walker Books for a digital copy of this book.
November 21, 2025
Poetry is the migrant: it travels. Poetry is the witness: it listens. Poetry is the survivor: it lasts.
Michael Rosen! Back to his books again, since my obsession with 'We're Going On a Bear Hunt' as a 3 year old. From the introduction till the very end, this book moved me throughout with incredible poems encapsulating the extreme complexities and complicated feelings that come with being a migrant so simply. Quentin Blake's illustrations further added to the murky hopefulness and blurring between all kinds of emotions that many migrants experience, constantly shifting and being 'on the move'. An absolutely wonderful book that I would re-read over and over again.
Favourite poems
My Friends' Eyes: It really captured the tension and shame we sometimes feel about our unique identity and culture; the uncomfortable itch in the back of minds as if we're constantly under scrutiny, people ready to pounce on our differences.
The New School: The blaring irony so plainly put forth in this poem was both amusing and eye-opening for me. My favourite quote from here was
Everyone said he was brilliant at History
right after Rosen pointed how the recipient of this praise said to his classmate,
Don't drop any money on the floor, he'll only pick it up and keep it.
Counting: Another direct take on the morals behind war, how often we simply view lives as just 'another one lost' out of countless more. I especially liked this part:
"It's worth it, believe us."
If you forget how to count.
If you forget the numbers.
If you forget the names.
If you forget the faces."
Nothing: This poem was shorter compared to others, but equally powerful.
You can't say what you know.
It is the unknowable.
Dear Oscar | Yours Hopefully | Today: One Day
Never Again:
It can happen again.
It does happen again.
It has happened again.
The Migrants in Me: This poem reminded me of another book I read, 'Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow', which was maybe why I connected so strongly with it. My favourite part:
What, is it only mad, bad and sad people
Who do that sort of thing, and neither I nor you
Are mad, bad or sad enough?
Everyone Comes from Somewhere: I loved this poem most because it reminds us to be compassionate and view others the way we want to be seen-with respect, dignity and understanding as we all travel and journey together on our unique paths. My favourite lines:
Everyone comes from somewhere. Everyone has a past.
Everyone is somewhere first. Everyone is somewhere last.
On The Move Again: Another one of the poems I loved the most from this book. Its poignancy is rather self-explanatory from these lines:
No time to grieve.
You just gotta leave.
Get away from the pain.
On the move again.
...
What you leave behind
Won't leave your mind.
But home is where you find it.
Home is where you find it.
Today: A hopeful closure to the book, seen in how it reassures us that:
What you did yesterday
Can help you choose what to do now.
What you did yesterday and what you do now
Can help you plan what to do tomorrow.
But you can only do something now."
Poetry is a way of thinking....it lets me...ask questions without giving too-neat answers...I believe that we are, all of us, citizens of the world, and it seems to me that "home" shouldn't be decided by country borders. Home is where you find it.-Michael Rosen
July 11, 2021
My class (Year 5 at an international school) have been reading “The Boy at the Back of the Class” and showed a real interest in the themes of migration and refugees as the island where we live is currently experiencing boats arriving on an almost daily basis.
We have also been studying the illustration of Quentin Blake this year, and towards the end of the year, the fabulous “Rosen Rap”.
A colleague found a great free Plazoom podcast featuring Michael reading one of the poems from this book. It really impacted my class and led to lots of amazing discussion where many of the children shared the migratory experiences of their own families.
I had already read the book telling of Michael’s journey to discover the fate of his family during the Second World War, and found it a really interesting read. Reading the poems in “On the Move” provided even more of an insight into Michael’s journey.
I really enjoyed how “On the Move” was split into four sections.
The first section has poems about Michael’s family and friends. “My Father Says” tells of Michael’s father swimming. Upon reading this, my father told me of a similar experience he had as a child when my grandmother left all her young children on the beach with my grandfather whilst she swam out of sight.
I often find this when I read one of Michael’s books. They are incredibly accessible and often lead to so many interesting conversations with children and adults alike.
As a language graduate, I think my favourite poem in the first section is “Two Languages”, where Michael plays with language and life in a bilingual house.
As someone unable to see family for long periods of time, “Bubbe and Zeyde” resonates. It tells of Michael’s trips to visit his maternal grandparents.
The second section is about the War and the third about Michael’s family and their migration.
The last section of the book houses poems about migration in general. I am incredibly glad that I bought the book as it is much more than just the poem I had read to my class. The Plazoom podcast opened up discussion but I believe children would get so much from reading the complete final section of the book. I intend to do this next year.
The illustrations are poignant and add to the reading experience immensely.
I couldn’t recommend this book more.
We have also been studying the illustration of Quentin Blake this year, and towards the end of the year, the fabulous “Rosen Rap”.
A colleague found a great free Plazoom podcast featuring Michael reading one of the poems from this book. It really impacted my class and led to lots of amazing discussion where many of the children shared the migratory experiences of their own families.
I had already read the book telling of Michael’s journey to discover the fate of his family during the Second World War, and found it a really interesting read. Reading the poems in “On the Move” provided even more of an insight into Michael’s journey.
I really enjoyed how “On the Move” was split into four sections.
The first section has poems about Michael’s family and friends. “My Father Says” tells of Michael’s father swimming. Upon reading this, my father told me of a similar experience he had as a child when my grandmother left all her young children on the beach with my grandfather whilst she swam out of sight.
I often find this when I read one of Michael’s books. They are incredibly accessible and often lead to so many interesting conversations with children and adults alike.
As a language graduate, I think my favourite poem in the first section is “Two Languages”, where Michael plays with language and life in a bilingual house.
As someone unable to see family for long periods of time, “Bubbe and Zeyde” resonates. It tells of Michael’s trips to visit his maternal grandparents.
The second section is about the War and the third about Michael’s family and their migration.
The last section of the book houses poems about migration in general. I am incredibly glad that I bought the book as it is much more than just the poem I had read to my class. The Plazoom podcast opened up discussion but I believe children would get so much from reading the complete final section of the book. I intend to do this next year.
The illustrations are poignant and add to the reading experience immensely.
I couldn’t recommend this book more.
August 24, 2022
In this collection of mostly free-verse poems, the author divides them into four parts. In the first. he writes about his family and his childhood in London. In the second part, he speaks of memories of World War II and family travels in Europe after the war. The third section is about his relatives that are no longer here because of the Holocaust. In the last part, he discusses the experiences of those who are still being uprooted, asserting "Everyone comes from somewhere.
Everyone has a past.
Everyone is somewhere first.
Everyone is somewhere last."
Cohen's poems are both contemplative and poignant. They are illustrated by wretched-looking figures drawn with gnarled black lines on gloomy watercolor washes in shades of purple and gray. At the end of the text is a list of resources that help refugees and migrants - charities, organ-
izations and education. This book is recommended for readers from ages 9 up.
Everyone has a past.
Everyone is somewhere first.
Everyone is somewhere last."
Cohen's poems are both contemplative and poignant. They are illustrated by wretched-looking figures drawn with gnarled black lines on gloomy watercolor washes in shades of purple and gray. At the end of the text is a list of resources that help refugees and migrants - charities, organ-
izations and education. This book is recommended for readers from ages 9 up.
September 21, 2020
A truly incredible collection of Michael Rosen’s poetry focusing on the themes of migration, refugees and displacement. This compendium includes works that explore the horrors inflicted upon Michael Rosen’s own family and the Jews in world war 2 but also extend to all intervening years of the human struggle to escape torture , control and war. Quentin Blake’ s haunting illustrations add another depth. Every poem delivers a beauty and a punch to the conscience in relation to where we are now and how we have or haven’t learned from the past. This is a book for everyone and highly recommended to use with upper key stage 2 and secondary school learners- it is with the young we can sew those seeds that dare them to question and challenge the control of authority and oppression and learn from the tragedies of lives lost and displaced in the past and the present . Each poem will stay with you beyond reading ... “Cousin Michael “ has a powerful impact. A collection to share and return to so we never forget. I will be recommending this to colleagues and learners in education .
September 25, 2020
Michael Rosen is national treasure who has not only encouraged children to further their love of reading but to think & appreciate the world around them. This latest collection is split into powerful themes that flow effortlessly into one and another like the waves in an ocean. Your heart will shatter with the honesty in the poems and the injustices in the world in the past and the present. But there is the hope that future generations can make the difference.
The one poem that affected me the most was Never Again, it has stayed with me days after I read the book and I have gone back to it time and time again.
The partnership of Rosen & Blake is always going to be something to treasure, they are master craftsmen in their fields, they work so well together. Blake’s illustrations are exquisite and echo Rosen’s words perfectly.
I received a copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
The one poem that affected me the most was Never Again, it has stayed with me days after I read the book and I have gone back to it time and time again.
The partnership of Rosen & Blake is always going to be something to treasure, they are master craftsmen in their fields, they work so well together. Blake’s illustrations are exquisite and echo Rosen’s words perfectly.
I received a copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
September 24, 2021
It was an extremely clever and moving (if chilling) idea to combine poems Michael Rosen wrote about his personal family history in a volume with some from a more general perspective. There is unspeakable horror here (that's right... he does not spell things out, whether it is how his relatives died or why schoolmates in England, in the years soon after a war we tell ourselves was against Fascism, joked about him taking money that wasn't his) His introduction about migration is probably pitched for children but contains much of which too many older individuals have chosen to remain ignorant.
As so often, Quentin Blake's illustrations do the job too.
As so often, Quentin Blake's illustrations do the job too.
December 17, 2023
After reading this narrative style poetry book, I have realized that it was definitely meant for a much younger audience. While there are a few standout poems, the book itself is just ok. Still, I think it gives children access to topics such as refugees, immigrants, and the Holocaust, so I think it would be interesting to get a review from someone younger than me. Still, it was a quick read (reread it all today because it had been so long since I picked it up) and I enjoyed the stories within it.
July 14, 2022
Honestly, not as striking as some poetry books I've read in the past few years and sometimes seemed childish and too simple. But there were a few poems which really stuck out to me and I did appreciate the verbal and illustrative pictures. I even recommended this to a history teacher friend, so definitely worth the read. It's a quicker read than it looks because the pages are so thick (took me about 2 hours to read).
April 25, 2024
A great collection of poems for kids! Rosen’s skill in connecting with readers on a personal level resonated with the shared human experience. The simplicity of his language and the depth of emotions he conveys make the collection enjoyable for a wide audience. There is a good mix of humor and heartfelt moments throughout the poetry. This book illuminates the experience of refugees and immigrants everywhere and is told in a way that even kids will be able to understand.
September 28, 2022
Magnificent poetry, heartbreaking, personal, traumatic, unforgettable, poignant, relevant & so powerful. The Oscar & Rachel ones will break your heart as will the Cousin Michael ones. The art work by the incomparable Quentin Blake is, as ever, perfect. I imagine some USA states will ban this book as the truth is far too unpalatable for their ignorant minds.
April 14, 2023
Poemas estupendos para discutir na escola assuntos relacionados com identidade, migração, racismo, guerra. Rosen simplifica e clarifica-os ao torná-los pessoais. Não é a história dos outros, é a minha história, a história da minha família, do meu pai, da minha avó, do meu tio, do meu primo. Eu sou os outros. Uma lição de empatia.
November 10, 2023
Poems about migration is a bit misleading. This book is primarily about life as a young Jewish boy, whose family was profoundly impacted by the Holocaust. It is very heavy, and mostly reads like a collection of short stories, rather than poems. If you’ve read any of Rosen’s other works, many of the poems will be familiar.
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