Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy

A combined edition of two favourite poetry picture books - Don't Put Mustard in the Custard and You Can't Catch Me - which also includes a CD of Michael Rosen reading the poems aloud. In an introduction he describes the way he uses fragments of speech and 'everyday language sounds', calling this 'talking on the page with my pen'. Repetition is used to humorous effect in many of these poems which centre around everyday life and relationships with parents, siblings and friends. Quentin Blake's illustrations provide an added dimension not always referred to in the poems as well as complementing the comedy.