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A Children's Treasury Of Milligan
A CHILDREN'S TREASURY OF MILLIGAN: CLASSIC STORIES AND POEMS. [Hardcover] Milligan, Spike.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
12 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Spike Milligan
270 books305 followersTerence Alan Patrick Seán Milligan, known as Spike, was a comedian, writer and musician. He was of Irish descent, but spent most of his childhood in India and lived most of his later life in England, moving to Australia after retirement. He is famous for his work in The Goon Show, children's poetry and a series of comical autobiographical novels about his experiences serving in the British Army in WWII. Spike Milligan suffered from bipolar disorder, which led to depression and frequent breakdowns, but he will be remembered as a comic genius. His tombstone reads 'I told you I was ill' in Gaelic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
January 12, 2019
I will start by saying I have always loved Spike Milligan. Some of his "re-telling" may not be the best but when he is creating unique totally original work he is at his best - and by that I mean he is at his maddest and most eccentric.
This book is range of verse, short anecdotes and I guess you would call them (loosely) stories. All aimed at amusing and entertaining children although I will have to admit they do a pretty good job for me too.
For me I think the only other author who can create such weird and wonderful images was Roald Dahl.
Either way I must say that along with amusing and entertaining its a great way of catching the attention of others and getting them to read - after all you cannot flick through this book and not stop and want to read some of the utter bizarre verses Mr Milligan and written down. Now I know this book was not aimed at me (would be amazing if it were) but still I really enjoyed it.
This book is range of verse, short anecdotes and I guess you would call them (loosely) stories. All aimed at amusing and entertaining children although I will have to admit they do a pretty good job for me too.
For me I think the only other author who can create such weird and wonderful images was Roald Dahl.
Either way I must say that along with amusing and entertaining its a great way of catching the attention of others and getting them to read - after all you cannot flick through this book and not stop and want to read some of the utter bizarre verses Mr Milligan and written down. Now I know this book was not aimed at me (would be amazing if it were) but still I really enjoyed it.
December 16, 2019
This was my favourite poetry as a child and still is to this day.
August 29, 2020
Exactly what you'd expect from Milligan. Surrealist in parts, funny in parts. But at all times you're aware that the kids are getting something they wouldn't be getting anywhere else.
March 17, 2020
Lovely book full of a range of great poems which could relate to lots of different areas of teaching as well as being enjoyable for the children. Great range with some being rhyming poems and others funny. Would work very well with primary school children, engaging their interest in poetry. This poetry collection is very different to lots of other children’s poetry books I have seen before. The poems are very abstract and unusual with a range of different themes approached in a funny way.
On the Ning Nang Nong: Poem I enjoyed
This poem is a rhyming poem using a mixture of Ning Nang and Nong repeated in different orders in each section of the poem. The poem is based on animals and other characters including trees and tea pots which make different noises to rhyme. For example the tea pots ‘jibber jabber joo’. The poem therefore flows nicely and would be fun to read aloud as a class where all children would be able to follow along with the repeated lines. Children are also likely to find the poem quite funny and I would use it with year 2 or year 3 children. When reading aloud, children could create the sound effects described in the poem to bring the poem alive.
Rain: Poem I found intriguing
Rain is a very short poem of only one verse. The poem has 2 lines which rhyme and follows a syllable pattern. The poem explains the process of rain in an unusual way, however this may like to children’s understanding before they have been taught about the water cycle at school. The poem could therefore be read to the children and discussed directly before lessons on the water cycle. I believe you could get good discussion about the poem from KS1 children but also year 3/4 children who may be exploring the real reason for rain fall.
On the Ning Nang Nong: Poem I enjoyed
This poem is a rhyming poem using a mixture of Ning Nang and Nong repeated in different orders in each section of the poem. The poem is based on animals and other characters including trees and tea pots which make different noises to rhyme. For example the tea pots ‘jibber jabber joo’. The poem therefore flows nicely and would be fun to read aloud as a class where all children would be able to follow along with the repeated lines. Children are also likely to find the poem quite funny and I would use it with year 2 or year 3 children. When reading aloud, children could create the sound effects described in the poem to bring the poem alive.
Rain: Poem I found intriguing
Rain is a very short poem of only one verse. The poem has 2 lines which rhyme and follows a syllable pattern. The poem explains the process of rain in an unusual way, however this may like to children’s understanding before they have been taught about the water cycle at school. The poem could therefore be read to the children and discussed directly before lessons on the water cycle. I believe you could get good discussion about the poem from KS1 children but also year 3/4 children who may be exploring the real reason for rain fall.
March 17, 2020
A Children’s Treasury of Milligan: Classic stories and poems by Spike Milligan
This is a great collection of short poems, most of which rhyme and would be good poems to read with younger children in KS1. They are accompanied by colourful illustrations to aid understanding of the poem and reflect a children’s though process well so young children are likely to find them enjoyable. In particular, ‘The Snowman’ and ‘Can a Parrot’ are both enjoyable short poems which include young characters who the audience could identify with, particularly through the use of silly words which children might use themselves. Many of the poems are humorous although they address a variety of themes, displaying the range of poetry to children. They have regular rhyme structures which help to maintain pace and rhythm and could be performed in small groups to explore the effect of voice. In addition, children could use these poems as inspiration for their own poetry. Some of the poems have darker themes, so would be more suitable for older children rather than Key Stage 1.
The Snowman: I enjoyed
The Snowman is slightly longer than many poems in the collection, although it’s still quite short so would hold the attention of young children in Key Stage 1 and would be suitable as a read aloud poem due to the regular rhyme structure helping to maintain pace and structure. It represents how children may perceive snowmen as useless after the enjoyment of building them as they can’t play, they just melt away. Many children would be able to relate to this scenario from their own experience, making it more meaningful and enjoyable. It then says how the water could be used to make a cup of tea, which would link well with studying the water cycle in science and encourage deeper thinking. It has rhyming couplets throughout which can be used to reinforce phonics and encourage children to join in. They could come up with their own rhyming couplets or have the poem cut up and put the couplets back together using phonics and reading. This would be suitable for KS1 children.
Tree-Kill: I found intriguing
This is one of the poems in the collection which would be more suitable for Key Stage 2 children. It’s very short and also repetitive with the first line of every stanza, and sometimes the second lines, being the same. This could encourage children to join in and would be suitable for group performances of the poem. I found the story in the poem intriguing as it revolved around tree felling and trees falling on people, with the narrator pleading for the trees to stop falling ‘or else we’ll all be dead!’ at the end. The story didn’t seem very engaging and many children would probably struggle to understand it. There is rhyme in the last line of every stanza and the lines are short so it would be good as a read aloud poem. It is accompanied by a fun illustration showing the peoples feet sticking out from the tree trunk! It would be good to discuss with children to see their different interpretations of the poem, which could be interesting and enjoyable for the audience.
This is a great collection of short poems, most of which rhyme and would be good poems to read with younger children in KS1. They are accompanied by colourful illustrations to aid understanding of the poem and reflect a children’s though process well so young children are likely to find them enjoyable. In particular, ‘The Snowman’ and ‘Can a Parrot’ are both enjoyable short poems which include young characters who the audience could identify with, particularly through the use of silly words which children might use themselves. Many of the poems are humorous although they address a variety of themes, displaying the range of poetry to children. They have regular rhyme structures which help to maintain pace and rhythm and could be performed in small groups to explore the effect of voice. In addition, children could use these poems as inspiration for their own poetry. Some of the poems have darker themes, so would be more suitable for older children rather than Key Stage 1.
The Snowman: I enjoyed
The Snowman is slightly longer than many poems in the collection, although it’s still quite short so would hold the attention of young children in Key Stage 1 and would be suitable as a read aloud poem due to the regular rhyme structure helping to maintain pace and structure. It represents how children may perceive snowmen as useless after the enjoyment of building them as they can’t play, they just melt away. Many children would be able to relate to this scenario from their own experience, making it more meaningful and enjoyable. It then says how the water could be used to make a cup of tea, which would link well with studying the water cycle in science and encourage deeper thinking. It has rhyming couplets throughout which can be used to reinforce phonics and encourage children to join in. They could come up with their own rhyming couplets or have the poem cut up and put the couplets back together using phonics and reading. This would be suitable for KS1 children.
Tree-Kill: I found intriguing
This is one of the poems in the collection which would be more suitable for Key Stage 2 children. It’s very short and also repetitive with the first line of every stanza, and sometimes the second lines, being the same. This could encourage children to join in and would be suitable for group performances of the poem. I found the story in the poem intriguing as it revolved around tree felling and trees falling on people, with the narrator pleading for the trees to stop falling ‘or else we’ll all be dead!’ at the end. The story didn’t seem very engaging and many children would probably struggle to understand it. There is rhyme in the last line of every stanza and the lines are short so it would be good as a read aloud poem. It is accompanied by a fun illustration showing the peoples feet sticking out from the tree trunk! It would be good to discuss with children to see their different interpretations of the poem, which could be interesting and enjoyable for the audience.
June 22, 2022
Lovely book full of a range of great poems which could relate to lots of different areas of teaching as well as being enjoyable for the children. Great range with some being rhyming poems and others funny. Would work very well with primary school children, engaging their interest in poetry. This poetry collection is very different to lots of other children’s poetry books I have seen before. The poems are very abstract and unusual with a range of different themes approached in a funny way.
October 13, 2019
Collection of short stories and Poetry; many rhyming, many nonsense, all very good. There are lots of poems/stories which could be used to introduce different concepts to children. For example, the poem ‘onomatopoeia’ could be used to discuss and teach onomatopoeia; use ‘Rich’ to discuss the value of money ‘…Could order any/Luxury/That’s not more than/ A hundred p!’; Use ‘I am 1’ to teach adding up numbers to 10.
September 12, 2012
One of the lasting memories I have from primary school is being read the poem 'On the Ning Nang Nong'. Even just typing the name of the poem alarms the spell check system on any computer, underlining the words in red, informing you that you have made a mistake, the word doesn't exist or the sentence doesn't make sense. In essence this is the beauty and where excitement lays in work by Spike Milligan. The nonsensical approach to poetry that Milligan uses can be related to by children, who from the moment they can speak use words and sounds for fun to invent new words and meanings. This chaotic style of writing is read with pace, reading like a song full of sounds and humorous imagery.
Milligan's writing celebrates the fun to be had with words. I believe ' A Children's Treasury of Milligan' would be a great tool for KS1 and KS2 teachers to illustrate how inventive and entertaining poetry can be. It is always a pleasure to read and is a book that children would love to have extracts read to them as a reward at the end of the day. Wholly recommend.
Milligan's writing celebrates the fun to be had with words. I believe ' A Children's Treasury of Milligan' would be a great tool for KS1 and KS2 teachers to illustrate how inventive and entertaining poetry can be. It is always a pleasure to read and is a book that children would love to have extracts read to them as a reward at the end of the day. Wholly recommend.
September 28, 2019
One of my favourite poetry and story books. My Dad used to read this to me and I quickly learnt lots of the poems by heart. Milligan is one of those writers that understands what young children like and how to engage their interest in books, comparable to the works of Roald Dahl. The stories and poems are memorable due to a use of constant repetition of silly words such as: "bong" and "boo", helping children improve their language comprehension and spoken language skills. This also makes his books accessible for very young children. Children could write their own poems, inspired by the authors use of rhythm and rhyme to develop their understanding of poetry. I am really looking forward to sharing this book with a young class.
February 15, 2021
I love spike milligan's work I always read it when I was younger. My favourite poem is The alphabet I used to know it off by heart.
November 29, 2012
a book that never grows old, even if you do. the illustrations are wonderful and the poems and prose are whimsical. still one of my favourite books, and it has been since I got it ten years ago.
August 31, 2017
A wonderful collection of poems - enjoyed by both the young and older generations! Spike Milligan has you laughing with each poem and his collection of short, long and limerick style poems will have you in stitches. A lovely collection that should be shared in either leisure time or used within the classroom. The array of poems that are in this book can be linked to numerous topics, whether it be in literacy specifically during the studying of limericks, or with broader subjects for example nature.
November 13, 2017
Was given this book for my 9th birthday by my teaching assistance, as I always loved a silly joke - all that has changed is I realise the genious of commedians like Spike. This is a must book for any child.
September 4, 2018
I remember not really understanding Spike Milligan as a child, and I still don't - that doesn't make the poems bad, but a more challenging reading experience. The illustrations help a lot, often clarifying the poems' imagery and making a confusing line into a funny concept.
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June 27, 2023Bought for my children many years ago and a constant go to for a smile when times were difficult or the day's been tired. The children are now grown up but still recall the witty wording of many a ditty in this book.
July 9, 2018
The one I have always given as a gift to children. Spike Milligan writes beautifully and there are poems here that will stay with a smile long after the children have gone to sleep.
January 28, 2023
A book that shaped my childhood!
September 23, 2015
A collection of stories and poems with a nonsensical approach that can be related to by children, who from the moment they can speak use words and sounds for fun to invent new words and meanings. This chaotic style of writing is read with pace, reading like a song full of sounds and humorous imagery. Brightly coloured simple pictures adorn the pages of each poem. From Silly Verse for Children to a Book of Milliganimals to Unspun Socks from a Children’s Laundry (whatever that means) there is something for everyone. The poem ‘ On the Ning Nang Nong’ when just typing the name in the computer underlines the words in red, informing you that you have made a mistake, the word doesn't exist or the sentence doesn't make sense shows the fun that can be had by words.
I believe ' A Children's Treasury of Milligan' would be a great tool for KS1 and KS2 teachers to illustrate how inventive and entertaining poetry can be. It is always a pleasure to read and is a book that children would love to have extracts read to them as a reward at the end of the day. There is just so much mileage in it as it is endlessly funny. I feel there is a need for lots of different silly voices and accents - the jokes will come out slightly differently each time. Great for putting actions to the words so can be used for drama activities too.
I believe ' A Children's Treasury of Milligan' would be a great tool for KS1 and KS2 teachers to illustrate how inventive and entertaining poetry can be. It is always a pleasure to read and is a book that children would love to have extracts read to them as a reward at the end of the day. There is just so much mileage in it as it is endlessly funny. I feel there is a need for lots of different silly voices and accents - the jokes will come out slightly differently each time. Great for putting actions to the words so can be used for drama activities too.
January 14, 2015
Spike Milligan is, in my opinion one of the funniest people to have ever lived. His gift for surrealism and the extraordinary made him stand out in the field of entertainment. This collection of poems and stories embraces his love for the weird. The fantastical images and stories that are created in this collection captures Milligan's imagination perfectly, taking the reader to the land of the Ning Nang Nong, and introducing us to the Bongaloo. Children and adults of all ages will enjoy these poems and stories. Perhaps we can find the answer to the age old question, "Can a parrot Eat a carrot Standing on his head?"
January 19, 2014
I read this book over and over when I was a kid with my dad so it brings back many good memories. Spike always makes me laugh so the disc of him reading his poems was brilliant. A book for children and adults alike encompassing silliness and tongue twisters. My favourites include Ning Nong Nang (which I challenge you to read without making a mistake) Sardines and Silly Old Baboon. Brings a smile to my face just thinking about them :)
July 8, 2009
This contains six works previously published separately in one volume. Four of these smaller books were of nonsense verse, for which Milligan was quite well known. The other two are shortish children;s stories. Sean enjoyed it well enough, but personally I always found Milligan a little hard to take. The arting is Sean's.
April 10, 2012
This was one of my absolute favourite books as a child and I still can't help but go back every so often to revisit the nonsensical poetry and stories contained within. Both aspects are almost uniformly excellent, with my personal favourites being The Bald Twit Lion and, obviously, On The Ning Nang Nong.
July 28, 2013
Strawberry moose....
Need I say more. I copied this page and pinned the picture on my wall at work. It makes me smile every time.
The ning nang nong is my daughters favourite and mine to.
All children and adults should have a copy of this book they can read when life is just that little bit too serious!
Just brilliant.
Need I say more. I copied this page and pinned the picture on my wall at work. It makes me smile every time.
The ning nang nong is my daughters favourite and mine to.
All children and adults should have a copy of this book they can read when life is just that little bit too serious!
Just brilliant.
October 13, 2015
As a huge fan of Spike Milligan’s comedy, I have enjoyed reading some of Spike’s silly verse for children to my daughter. I would love to get a class of mine to write their own silly verse, using this as the inspiration, especially as the book contains notes explaining that his own children helped to or inspired some of Spike’s poems.
July 8, 2014
As a child I was really interested in poetry, particularly humorous poetry. So of course, Spike Milligan was just right for me! Great poems that last - I still have this book and I'm sure will continue to share it.
April 14, 2009
I bought this for my newphew's who are two and five. Not only do they find the poems, short stories and drawings a real hoot so do I!
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April 11, 2010A Children's Treasury of Milligan by Spike Milligan (2004)
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August 7, 2011A real treasure...
October 19, 2016
This book was silly beyond words, as a good Milligan book should be... So silly he had to make up several new words just to show how beyond words it is.
November 13, 2025
Absolutely loved this as a kid
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews