read-along poetry

Two new illustrated poetry books covers

Illustrated animal and bird poetry!

Dementia-friendly books

I know, I know – I already have so many large print illustrated poetry books!

I had found some lovely bird and animal poems that I wanted to share, though, so here we are.

Choosing dementia-friendly poems

Sometimes people ask, “Why aren’t all the poems by really famous poets like Keats or Byron?” – but that’s not always easy, especially with animal poems.

Yes, many great poets have written about their pet cat or dog – but as a memorial to a deceased pet. Or reflecting on a wounded deer… While these poems may be beautiful, they could cause sadness or confusion in a reader living with brain changes, so I have chosen cheerful poems, sometimes by less well-known poets.

For example, I have to confess I didn’t really know the work of Herbert Asquith (not the long-ago UK Prime Minister, but his son). Yet I just love ‘The Hairy Dog’ – so simple and charming! I hope your loved ones will also enjoy these poems…

The Hairy Dog (Herbert Asquith)

My dog’s so furry I’ve not seen
His face for years and years;
His eyes are buried out of sight,
I only guess his ears.

When people ask me for his breed,
I do not know or care;
He has the beauty of them all
Hidden beneath his hair.

Here are some sample pages so you can see the layout of the books…

Shared reading

All the books are slim and light, for a ‘just-enough’ reading experience for poetry lovers living with exhaustion, mild cognitive loss, or recovering from stroke.

Some people will be delighted to read alone, but others will enjoy shared reading. Many studies show great benefits from reading together. You provide a supportive voice, so your loved one can read along with more confidence. This is especially important when brain changes have made reading more challenging.

The bonus: sharing your thoughts about the picture or the poem (or about life) can inspire wonderful discussions!

You may find the books at your local library, and you’ll certainly find them on Amazon:

Illustrated Bird Poetry: ISBN 9781922191854. Universal Amazon link: https://mybook.to/BirdPoetry

Illustrated Animal Poetry: ISBN 9781922191861. Universal Amazon link: https://mybook.to/AnimalPoetry

Read-along with Illustrated Nature Poetry

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I’ve started recording the verses from Illustrated Nature Poetry, and putting them on YouTube.

The idea is that a care partner can play them for a ‘listen and read’ or ‘listen and read-along’ experience. Here’s a link to the growing playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv0Cnf1PQ5rIeiY16bUccl4sXuVSkC7Eh

Why is this needed? Well, all these books can be enjoyed as a shared reading experience. However, it’s possible that not all care partners will feel confident to read classic poetry aloud. Maybe they’re not a poetry fan, or maybe English is a language they are still learning… If that is so, then hopefully this audio can make the shared reading experience more fun.

Each poem has its own short video. I introduce the poem in a chatty voice, then read the poem twice, with the second reading a little slower, to allow someone to read along, if they’d like to. ‘If they’d like to’ is an important point, as I don’t want anyone to feel pressured. In fact, I got feedback when I trialled this audio, reminding me to make that very clear!

I’ll keep recording and hopefully soon have all 19 poems done. I’ll also make a short introductory video for care partners, to suggest ways they can extend the reading to include discussion and reminiscence.

I hope this will be useful! Let me know!