Hocus Pocus, diddley oakus is an old, old children’s chant when ‘magical’ thing were afoot, or at least it once was, with such fun to be had making play as witches, warlocks and other magical beings. Now from the brilliant concept created by Paul Cookson and Illustrated by his mystical, magical artist Eilidh Muldoon, the world of totally magical mayhem has been gathered together in book form Fire Burn, Caldron Bubble Magical Poems and they are too, magical that is and poems, most definitely.
Cookson has cast his spell wide to command a totally madcap collection of poems gather together on the pages to cobble together a poem reading spell designed to enchant and captivate, as well as make you laugh and wonder at the very strange goings-on of the mystical, magical world of well, magic!
Poems have been commanded from far away, time wise that is, as Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) wrote this poem, the much loved Song of the Witches for his famous play Macbeth. Graham Denton, a most intriguing modern wizard, wonders about how things could have gone so wrong in I Once Asked A Wizard. Hmmm!
Here is a thing to contemplate; can you saw a poem in half, well maybe, but only when a wizard says Abracadabra but as this seems to be one very confused wizard, best you decide for yourself on page 99, which is the perfect for this sort of puzzle to hide! Valerie Bloom worries about what may happen in the night, when even ghosts are Scared of the Dark which is of course something we all wanted to know.
But, perhaps, it is best if you begin at the beginning, which is a pretty good place to begin after all with De Magic Poem by Benjamin Zephaniah that explains it all. Carefully work your way through the magical poems, as you would if you were thinking of making a magical poem or spell of your own, until you arrive at the very beautiful A Feather From An Angel, which makes the perfect place to end a wonderful anthology of funny, serious, charming and spell binding poetry.
