My book review of 'Everyone Sang' by William Sieghart

by William Sieghart
Recommended age: 6+
Everyone Sang
by William Sieghart

A wonderful collection of more than a hundred poems, some traditional, others more recent, beautifully illustrated by Emily Sutton and certain "to delight, inspire, entertain, intrigue, console and uplift readers of all ages".

A book I regularly give as a gift because it's just so perfect, is 'The Poetry Pharmacy', a collection of poems chosen by William Sieghart. Each one has been selected to suit or ease a particular mood or state of mind, and he writes encouraging words alongside too. So I was delighted to discover that he has produced this stunning collection especially for children.

It uses a similar model in dividing the collection into four sections, offering poems to inspire you, to make you smile, to move you, and to calm and connect you.

"Now and then," Sieghart writes in the introduction to one section, "instead of feeling sad, we can decide to look at the world in a different way. We can try to see the good instead of the bad, and to focus on better things ahead...When I was collecting the poems, I looked for words that made my heart feel lighter or the world seem brighter."

He's chosen poems by TS Eliot and John Agard, Emily Dickinson and Maya Angelou, Philip Larkin and Kate Tempest, and many more.

Every page is filled with stunning illustrations contributed by the marvellous Emily Sutton, and it really does lift your spirits.

This is a truly wonderful book which is sure to be treasured for a lifetime.

Date of this review: November 2021
Book publication date: 7th October 2021