The Shape of Rainbows

"Here's a book you can tap out a rhythm to, sing to, dance to. It zaps and claps its way through the world of words, getting us to look closely at how words can make music. On the way it helps us ask questions about what writing is for and what's going on in the world. Zetter Zetter, now I feel better."

-- Michael Rosen

"A twisty, twirly world of wonder from one of the nation’s favourite poets."

-- Joshua Seigal, Poet and Author

"Another super anthology from Neal, full of sure-fire hits that will have the children begging for ‘just one more’! Pitched at just the right level and full of content that appeals to kids, his poems are fantastic fun to read aloud and a great way to show my pupils just how enjoyable poetry can be. Highly recommended." 

-- Gemma Jones, teacher and poetry-lover, Orchards Junior School, Worthing

"The snappiest, zappiest poems, that are great fun and can be enjoyed by everyone."

-- Brian Moses

"The cracking new collection includes 47 fun poems that children aged 7+ will love to read together and perform aloud... packed with rhyme, rhythm, onomatopoeia, humour, thoughtfulness and life, every primary school library should have a copy of his book. Highly recommended."

-- Tom Tolkien * School Reading List - Jan 2024 book club picks *

"An array of wide-ranging subjects by the very talented Neal Zetter, brought to life by the very funny illustrations by Will Hughes."

-- Karen Argent * The Letterpress Project *

"There’s a zippy zing to the poems herein – nearly fifty in all – and they simply cry out to be read aloud to, and by, primary children... Neal’s latest collection is one I would definitely add to my ‘go to’ books of poems to use in such sessions...

Will Hughes adds to the fun of every spread with one of his zany black and white illustrations."

-- Jill Bennett * Red Reading Hub *

“'The Shape of Rainbows’ is packed with wealth of poems which are perfect for sharing and performing, savouring and contemplating. There really is something for everyone to be found in these pages, all accompanied by Will Hughes’ witty illustrations. There are so many poems here which would make excellent models to inspire children to create their own poems and plenty which offer food for thought...

A must-have for every class and home bookcase!"

* Through The Bookshelf *

"He's our favourite poet and this new collection is as funny as ever... There is something for everyone again in this latest collection. Thank you Neal for filling our days full of smiles and chuckles... Kids and adults alike will find something in this book that will help bring out that smile."

* Gillari Books *

"This is an inventive and funny new collection from a very popular school performance poet. Entertaining, laugh-out-loud but also thought-provoking, the poems are perfectly matched by Will Hughes’s wild and witty illustrations."

* Primary Times *

"An inventive, entertaining collection of poems for seven or 8+, woven through with wordplay (“So furry / So purry / So cinnamon whirly”) and ideal for reading and performing aloud, especially in the classroom."

-- Imogen Russell Williams * The Guardian *

"I am a huge fan of Neal Zetter’s work so spending half an hour with his latest poetry book, The Shape of Rainbows, is a lovely way to end the day. Probably his best collection yet. Funny, as always, and absolutely perfect for children to perform in front of a class."

-- Jon Biddle

“... packed with a wealth of poems which are perfect for sharing and performing, savouring and contemplating. There really is something for everyone to be found in these pages, all accompanied by Will Hughes's witty illustrations...

Above all the collection shares a love of language and word play which excites the imagination and engages the reader/ listener with the musical possibilities of poetry and the joy of expression through this medium. A must-have for every class and home bookcase!”

-- Reading Zone

"The most striking thing about Neal Zetter’s collection is its sheer energy. It bounces and bounds from subject to subject, driven on by short lines and driving rhymes. He certainly lives up to his own claim in The Poem Machine. These poems surprise you, bite you, infect you with relentless enthusiasm, drive you to emulation (nearly there, but not quite!)."

* Books for Kee