Grandfather's Old Bruk-a-Down Car

Although many of Agard's poems provide a lot more excitement when they are being recited than when they are lying flat on the page, this collection contains enough rhythm, humour and intriguing imagery to provide an effective simulacrum of performance. The unifying theme is that of the favourite object: the jalopy of the title, a haunted rocking chair, an old biscuit tin full of dreams. Many of the poems act as riddles, describing the object in metaphors before revealing the surprise of its identity in the last line. This is a book about the joy and mystery of everyday things, and it should provide inspiration for children to look at their own familiar world afresh.