A thoroughly beautiful book full of hope, I adored the story of finding your voice m but with support of a trusted teacher who believes inyou, and that we all have a song but that we sing it when we are ready, I love how the child is not forced and given space, beautiful

So, I had this from Netgalley, but it disappeared and when I went to read it couldn't access it anymore. So, I found it, at all places, at my local library, but I had to put it on hold. It finally came about 3 months later!

Anyway, I was excited about this book, because it is *about* poetry and about finding your voice through poetry. Quite literally! A young androgynous child is made fun of because they don't speak. it seems a kind of voluntary mutism. But the new fabulous and vibrant teacher doesn't seem to mind and knows just how to handle this shy child. They are working on poetry, writing their own and the child is swept away. They feel something growing inside them. It's an empowering book. Although the child is anxious and apprehensive and the challenges they face in walking to the front of the class and read their poetry seem like walking in strong headwinds or climbing a mountain, but they persevere and their words ride out "tinkling at the windows, [and] jangling on the desks, whizzing around [their] smiling classmates" and they realize something very important.

The illustrations are *very* vibrant with a lot of fluorescent (not my favorite, but hey) and bright colors. There are long swishy strokes of color that lend movement to the drawings and evoke the text beautifully.

All in all, I think this is a beautiful, important book, especially for timid or shy children and anyone who is apprehensive about their own poetry.

Text 10/10
Story 10/10
Message 10/10
Entertainment 10/10
Enjoyment 10/10
Illustrations 9/10
Combination 10/10

69/70 points = 9.8 points = 4.9 stars

This is a beautiful story of a child who, with the help of their teacher, gains confidence and finds their voice. The illustrations are stunning and match the text perfectly. A lovely addition to any classroom library.

Another beautiful picture book by Joseph Coelho. The EAL learners in my class loved this story about finding your voice.

This is a beautiful book full of bright colours and hope. The story of a child who finds their voice in their own time with the support of a teacher who believes that we all have a song and will sing it when we are ready.

Ideal for children who find it hard to use their voice and those around them to build empathy.

Joseph Coelho is a force in picture books. His poetry background serves him perfectly when it comes to writing beautiful words for his picture books. An ideal companion to the sublime If All The World Were this is a wonderful tale of the power of a great teacher and their importance in building confidence.

The illustrations are stunning, but the power here is in Coelho’s words. Memorable and light with an emotional depth.

There was something about this book that touched my heart.

The graphics are so beautiful and alive. Colourful and exotic, including the teacher who you could see was perfect for her job especially toward the shy quiet little boy.

To be shy is awful, when you see everyone else having fun, joining in, doing all the things you want to do, with confidence.

To stand up and read a piece of you’re work aloud to you’re class, you’re peers, you’re audience is scary stuff.
But he did it!

The explanation of how he was feeling was totally in those pictures.

Highly recommended

This is a stunningly beautiful book. The illustrations just pull you in before you even read the text, and the text tells the story perfectly. The story unveils itself at an appropriate pace and is so sensitively told. Should quickly become a classic and mainstay of any childrens' library.

I am fascinated with the use of colours. So vast. And they are everywhere! My eyes are contented with the gorgeous illustration and I enjoy looking wherever my eyes fall into.

The use of language is lyrical but not to the point where it was hard to be understood. And there's a gracefulness that makes your moods uplifting. Overall, I found rejoiced in reading this book.

The cover of this book is beautiful. The illustrations are just as beautiful. A story about a little girl who didn't speak and the people in her class wasn't very kind to her. But with the confidence that her new teacher gave her, she pushed through her fears and read out her poem to the class and it was beautiful. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is one of the best children's books I have read this year. I really loved it loads and I just found it so magical and amazing! The story is about a little girl who is so shy that she can't speak out loud in her classroom. Her teacher gently encourages her to be more confident and brave and over a period of time, the girl writes a poem. which she eventually reads out loud in front of the whole class. This is a perfect book to be in every school, so that teachers can show it to their pupils, to encourage them to be brave and overcome their fears and anxieties in order for them to express themselves creatively. The book has amazingly beautiful graphics too. I highly recommend this book for any teacher, parent or anyone who looks after children. It is simply wonderful!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautifully illustrated book by Allison Colpoys that tells the story of the anxiety experienced by a young learner who cannot build up the courage to read their poetry to the class; however through the encourage and enthusiasm of the class teacher, the shy girl ultimately reads down the barrier and performs to the class. Joseph Coehlo’s story captures the shy natured pupil’s inner emotions and the exuberance of the teacher who inspires them to break their outer silence.It is wonderful that poetry is the mechanism / art that helps the child to free their voice.Joseph Coelho’s language is exquisite and I would highly recommend this book to teachers and carers of children in KS1 to open up discussion about when learners find themselves feeling they cannot speak and also to recognise the power of poetry in giving an unheard voice to so many.