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Gervase Phinn was a teacher for many years and later a school inspector and advisor. He is a real enthusiast, regularly promoting children's books and reading at conferences. He is now concentrating on his writing and much of his poetry is rooted inhis Yorkshire background. Gervase lives in Doncaster.
A series of close encounters of the un-nerving kind, this latest collection of poetry by school inspector Gervase Phinn draws on his considerable experience as a teacher, parent and child. The 69 poems cover a terrific range of poetic styles and subject matter, from entertaining gems based on the jokes much beloved by generations of primary school children to poignant observations including 'The Less Able Child', 'Becky's Tree' (planted in memory of a dead classmate) and 'A Parent's Prayer'. Some will have grown-ups laughing out loud: 'With Bells On' continues the tradition of Joyce Grenfell's nursery-school monologues and has the reader aching with sympathy and admiration for the teacher. School inspectors must have to draw deep on their reserves of humour, compassion and perspective and this book has generous allowances of all of these as well as sharing the street-wise know-how of today's schoolchild. The collection will be read with pleasure by children aged eight and over and anyone who has had regular dealings with children, and with a misguided smug relief by those who have so far escaped. It would be wise for trainee teachers to include it in their required reading - in particular 'Lament' should be learnt by heart. Those already at the sharp end can share most of these poems and a good giggle at the same time with their class. (Kirkus UK)
