Courage Out Loud

Great compilation of wonderful poems for kids surrounded by bright illustrations that will capture children’s attention. I especially loved “The Power of a Poem”

A cute book with a collection of poems all about having courage when facing fears and situations that children are likely to experience while growing it. It’s a great book to introduce children to different writing/book styles that are available. It provides those reading and be read to the ability to potentially find something to relate to and comfort them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is 1000% PERFECT. Adorable children's book. my favorite thing is the paragraph of context that sets up each Poem - kids need to learn and hearing these little descriptors before each poem helps them understand what the poem is about, and how to digest it. I wish this was around when my kids were small. Wonderful book, wonderful poems and topics to tackle. Great job.

Eloquent yet fun poetry for all ages. I would have loved to read these to my children when they were younger. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but Moth and Melodies is just a perfect ending. Highly highly recommend.

Courage Out Loud 25 Poems of Power is a unique and wonderful children's book. Filled with 25 poems meant to instill confidence in kids, and done in a fun and entertaining way. It's also beautifully illustrated in bright colors. I'm not sure if I've ever read poetry to my young boys and I was actually a little surprised that they enjoyed these so much. Their favorite was "Eddie's Panting."

This book would make the perfect gift for early readers and definitely belongs in the classroom.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own.

After thoroughly enjoying ‘Poems Aloud´ and ‘Smile Out Loud’ I was eagerly anticipating reading ‘Courage Out Loud: 25 Poems of Power’. It did not disappoint and is a wonderful addition to the current Children’s Laureate’s body of work.

Within this latest collection, Coelho has included poems that encourage readers to think about how they can tap into their own bravery and courage, to face their fears, whatever they might be.

Speaking directly to the reader, he prefaces each poem with a few lines introducing the type of poem and how it relates to an idea, emotion or feeling. I appreciated the variety of poetic forms throughout the collection; limericks, sestinas, rondels and pantoums, and how Coelho often shares his own personal experience e.g., in A Quiet Little Word he shares how whenever he feels worried or scare by something, it really helps to write about it, and this added another layer of connection for me with the text. Coelho speaks to the reader about writing their own poems in similar styles or structures and gives helpful tips on how to perform reading these poems out loud. This encouragement supports the reader in getting involved with developing their content, expression and performance. For some readers, this process itself, speaking out loud or writing out their worries, will see readers facing their fears and finding their courage.

As with the two previous books in this ‘Out Loud’ series, these are entertaining poems that give voice to feelings of both the heart and mind. This, alongside colourful inclusive illustrations that pitch perfectly with the text, will ensure that every reader can find a connection in this collection. For me, that connection came most strongly in reading ‘Saying No’, a poem that reassures how it is okay to say ‘no’ when something is not right for you; an important skill for practising self-care and promoting emotional wellbeing.

This book (and the other two in the series!) could be used in many different settings as a springboard for creativity and needs to be in every school library. As a school librarian, I will purchasing several copies and can see many opportunities to use this book in supporting children's emotional intelligence, empathy and wellbeing. It isn’t a collection that needs to be read in one sitting, but one that can be dipped into, depending on mood. As importantly, this is poetry that is relatable to younger (and older!) readers and will inspire many to want to seek out more like it.

Thank you to Quarto and #NetGalley for sending me this Wide Eyed eArc publication for review.

What a great book to inspire a new generation to love and enjoy poetry!! There is a great mix of both fun and emotional poems that may require deeper thought.

A strong book with engaging writing, composition in tandem with bright and striking artwork. Does as the cover says, with poems to read to encourage the mind, thoughts and discussion.

My only slight hesitation would be that a number of the poems are very similar in theme and tone if read in one go - encouraging courage and empowering power. Using them in isolation as exercises or starting points would work better, with a variety of settings and interests to suit any reader/listeners.

This poetry book is absolutely gorgeous. It encourages young readers to find the courage within them to face their fears and try new things.

It is beautifully illustrated in bright and colourful pages. Joseph Coelho’s personal anecdotes about his experiences preface each poem with creative ideas for possible responses to the poem such as performing a poem or writing one of your own. There are funny poems such as The toilet of death alongside more thoughtful themes.

For me, the most striking poem is called Saying No, it cleverly describes an important life skill that is so important to learn from a young age. Something even adults can find hard, I really related to this poem and think most people can. Extract;

‘ "Yes" when I was tired,
"yes" when I was sad.
I would say "yes" to everything even when "yes" made me feel bad.
"Yes" I can help you with your jacket,
"Yes" I can help you carry those.
But what is this beneath my feet?
A pile of little "nos".

"No" I don't want to go there,
"no" I don't want to play that,
"no" I don't feel like doing that thing and that's the end of that.

I started to say "no." never to be cruel or mean, just when I didn't want to, when I wasn't feeling keen.’

Its so important to learn that it’s ok to be assertive and say no, I hope lots of children (and adults) get to read this wonderful book.

Thank you NetGalley and Wide Eyed Publishing for allowing me to read this copy I know I will return to it again and again.

I absolutely adore this book of poems! It took me back to my elementary school days, where we put on an annual poetry performance, which I credit with my ongoing love for poetry today. This is a book that will inspire a whole new generation to love and have fun with poetry! The poems are entertaining, emotional, inspiring, and and sometimes silly. Each poem is also anchored by a short blurb introducing the idea and sometimes even the style of poem. As soon as I finished, I knew that this book would become the foundation for an upcoming poetry unit I’m doing with my little learners! I can’t wait to start working on it, as soon as I finish this review!

an hopeful and encouraging book filled with joyful poems that will help any child who might need a little help finding their own courage.

A truly wonderful poetry book from Joseph Coelho. All the poems are about being brave or having courage, some of them giving advice and some about Coelho's own experiences. At the start of each poem there is a paragraph with a bit about the poem, what type it is, giving advice or a task to write your own in the same style, or how to perform. Some of the poem forms I already knew like limericks and ballads and sone were new to me like rondels and pantoums. Definitely a poetry book to buy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a brightly illustrated and super fun read! There are so many poems that any child will be able to find a few they connect with. There is also some really wonderful vocabulary in here that allows for in-depth study of the author's intention and meaning.

It hits different reading this book as an adult because I can’t imagine how much my life would have turned out to be quite different if someone read this book with me when I was a kid.

This book is a must and will be a keeper. It has everything I need to tell a child things we need not be afraid of, learning how to say no and it’s okay to say so, how poetry and reading matters.

This book is more important in every child’s life because it’s the adults who they know who are going to tell or teach them what to be afraid of even when they aren’t that important. They will never know how it scars them for life. It’s our responsibility to tell them now with books like this that it’s okay to be afraid of things but also why we should not be afraid of things that do not matter much.

The illustrations are simple yet eye catching!

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group - Wide Eyed Editions, for the advance reading copy.

Everything Joseph Coelho touches is gold, and this is no different. An uplift, empowering, and relatable collection of poems which will touch the hearts of many children. The vibrant and energetic illustrations make it even more enjoyable. The poem about crying was my favourite, but I can see many children reading or being read any of these poems and feeling a little less alone and afraid.

I swear that one of these days NetGalley will break my bank and here is another one that is going into my Amazon shopping list.

I love this book. It is more than just a list of poems. I love how Joseph Coelho put in little notes at the beginning of each poem to inspire children to write poems. This is a perfect book for teaching poetry.

This book is full of lovely poems that would be perfect to share with a class. I’m definitely going to buy a copy to use in my classroom. Very inspirational!

A great teaching tool for the classroom or for parents with little kids. A beautiful resource to encourage kids to love poetry. I will be buying the physical copy of this for my classroom. Loved it!

Courage Out Loud: 25 Poems of Power
5 Fantastic Stars

Courage Out Loud is definitely a book of positivity. I think children will like the rhyming nature of the poems and the vibrant and engaging illustrations. I love how interactive each poem is. Courage Out Loud is a fun and interesting way to teach young children to use their brain and explore their creativity. They're poems and fun activities to join in on.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It made my soul happy. I'd recommend this book; it promotes a growth mindset. This book will help build confidence and speaking skills that will help youngsters to find their own voice. Plus, this is a great introduction to poetry.

Courage Out Loud would be an excellent book for homeschooling parents, libraries, classrooms, & counselors.

Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group, for providing me with a digital ARC for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A beautiful and heartwarming collection of poems that can be read over the course of a night, week, or month. The poems should be a valuable collection to every child’s bookshelf. Thank you for the copy.