Michael Rosen
Legendary poet and author Michael Rosen was our Writer in Residence from March to September 2022. During his time in the role, he promoted the importance of reading and rhyming with children in their early years and shared lots of tips about how to read books with little ones.
Michael Rosen is one of Britain’s best loved writers and performance poets for children and adults.
His first degree in English Literature and Language was from Wadham College, Oxford and he went on to study for an MA at the University of Reading and a PhD at the former University of North London, now London Metropolitan. He is currently Professor of Children’s Literature at Goldsmiths, University of London where he co-devised and teaches critical approaches to reading on an MA in Children’s Literature, having done the same at Birkbeck, University of London. He has taught on MA courses in universities since 1994. He was the Children’s Laureate from 2007-2009 and has published over 200 books for children and adults, including the recent bestseller Many Different Kinds of Love and On The Move.
Michael is a long-standing champion for children’s reading and for many years he took his one-man show to schools across the country to enthuse children with his passion for books and poetry. Over the years, he has been involved in countless public campaigns to promote reading. In 2007, in the role of Waterstones Children’s Laureate, he developed the Perform-a-Poem website in association with the London Grid for Learning.
Speaking about being appointed as BookTrust's Writer in Residence, Michael said:
'I am really looking forward to being resident at BookTrust. We know that helping children start life playing with words, poems and songs is the perfect way to become a confident speaker and writer. Under-fives soak up language and we can help make that happen by sharing books with them. I want to do all I can to offer some ideas and inspiration to help carers, teachers and anyone who works with under-fives.'
Watch Michael Rosen's virtual author visits
On 15 June, Michael hosted two exciting live streams to share some of his best work, first for reception age children and then for Key Stage 1 children. You can catch up on them both below:
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Reading for Pleasure: Michael Rosen's winning school announced
Back in March, BookTrust Writer in Residence asked teachers and librarians to share the amazing things they'd been doing to promote reading for pleasure in their schools... and we're excited to announce the winner!
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Ask Prof Mike: Being noisy in the library and reading stories like a CBeebies presenter...
Is it OK to take a child to a library if you're worried they'll run around and be noisy? Do you really have to read like a CBeebies presenter to get children to listen to stories? Writer in Residence Michael Rosen answers your burning questions about encouraging strong reading habits in children.
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Ask Prof Mike: Children who wander off, children who chew their books, and whether reading is just for school...
What if your child wanders off during a story? What if they're more interested in chewing books than looking at them? And isn't teaching reading a school's job? Every month, Writer in Residence Michael Rosen will answer your burning questions about encouraging strong reading habits in children.
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Ask Prof Mike: Growing out of picture books, reading to three children at once, and different ways of telling a story...
When should little ones progress from picture books to older books? How can you read a bedtime story to three children at once? What are some different ways you can tell a story? Every month, Writer in Residence Michael Rosen will answer your burning questions about encouraging strong reading habits in children.
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"Children need to know that things can get better": Michael Rosen and Michael Foreman on writing about war for children
In their new book, Please Write Soon, Michael Rosen and Michael Foreman draw inspiration from their own experiences growing up in the wake of World War Two - but with so much war and devastation in the news, how can we talk about these issues with children?
Books by Michael Rosen
Explore our booklists of Michael Rosen's poems and stories for all ages.
Michael Rosen books for 0-5s
Our Writer in Residence and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen's best books for little ones aged 0 to 5 - we highly recommend reading his brilliant poems aloud together for lots of fun!
Michael Rosen books for 6-8s
Our Writer in Residence and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen's best books for children aged 6-8 - from perfect bedtime stories for snuggling up with to fun rhymes for children growing more confident in reading aloud.
Michael Rosen books for 9-11s
Our Writer in Residence and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen's best books for children aged 9-11, tackling more complex topics and asking the big questions.
In March 2020, Michael Rosen became ill with Covid-19 and was admitted to hospital. In Sticky McStickStick he manages to tell the honest story of what happened to him accessibly for children, using his trademark directness and sense of humour.
This fun rhyming tale acknowledges the big emotions that little ones experience and enables 2 to 4 year-olds to find a vocabulary for the way they feel when they get cross.
This fun rhyming tale is a journey of imagination for readers, encouraging them to think of the craziest things they could imagine eating. In true Michael Rosen style, nothing is too silly...!
A gorgeous collection of nursery rhymes and playground songs which toddlers and pre-schoolers will love joining in with.
Wiggly Wiggly: Playtime Rhymes
A collection of playtime rhymes that encourage physical activity in this charming little board book: from wiggly pigs to a crunchy, munchy lunchtime with a crocodile. Lots of fun!
A little boy who really, really loves his mum’s chocolate cake wakes up in the middle of the night and, against his best efforts, scoffs the lot. Marvellous fun that's sure to get some tummies rumbling!
