
New children’s anthology of dinosaur poems from award-winning Birmingham publisher
Award-winning Birmingham publisher the Emma Press has published a new children’s anthology of dinosaur poems titled Dragons of the Prime.
The anthology is published on the 16th May and features work from 38 poets. It is edited by Richard O’Brien, who is currently a Poet Laureate for Birmingham. The book will be annotated with notes by Will Tattersdill and illustrated by Emma Wright. The poems are aimed at children aged 8+.
Dragons of the Prime is an anthology for children which tackles the big questions about these larger-than-life creatures: what would a baby diplodocus pray for, and just how big is a dinosaur’s egg? Along the way it takes in fossil-finders – like the pioneering Mary Anning – T-Rex’s gym routine, and chickens who dream at night of their dino ancestors’ ‘dagger teeth’. There are poems about dinosaurs in their Jurassic heyday, poems about new discoveries and the latest scientific knowledge, and poems about the history of how humans have imagined these amazing beasts.
Editor Richard O’Brien says: “It’s been an absolute pleasure putting together this anthology in dialogue with nearly 40 witty, skilful and intellectually curious poets. Editing is always a process of collaboration and I feel very lucky to have Will Tattersdill’s playful but rigorous notes and Emma Wright’s beautifully evocative and wry illustrations bringing the whole book together. Dinosaurs were a huge part of my childhood, and I’m delighted to be involved with a project that communicates that excitement and fascination to a new generation of readers.”
Richard is a poet, academic, and translator based in Birmingham. He has also co-edited The Head that Wears a Crown, another children’s anthology on British and Irish kings and queens, and Second Place Rosette, an anthology about British traditions and rituals.