A Ticket to Kalamazoo!

"An absolutely delightful collection of poems for the younger reader. It's beautifully designed and illustrated... The pages are bright and colourful and the pictures are charming... the fantastical subjects of each one will make children smile and laugh and join in with repeated refrains. 

This book is a clear winner for any infant library or classroom bookshelf. As part of a unit on poetry, this book will be returned to again and again for inspiration, and for any time a quick five minute poetry dip-in is needed."

* ReadingZone *

"Bursting with energy and exuberance, ‘A Ticket to Kalamazoo!’ is the perfect collection for encouraging and developing a love of poetry. These are poems which are crying out to be shared, performed and discussed time and time again... Full of colour and fun, each poem is brilliantly illustrated by Neal Layton, making the book instantly appealing.

Equally excellent for home or school, this is a must-have collection for inspiring poets of the future and kindling a life-long love of words and their playfulness."

* Through The Bookshelf *

"Poems are always best read aloud, and James Carter has provided the reader and audience with an absolute zippy treat of 19 super poems. Neal Layton’s super illustrations provide another layer of meaning to each poem. 

This is a poetic journey awaiting all to join. It is time to purchase your ticket to Kalamazoo – a destination of literary delight that you will not want to miss. This poetry book is destined to become a classroom classic."

* Just Imagine *

"Something for the young ones...Children will want to join in as they read about a bear with honey and fish in its tum, yum; a host of busy bugs; riding on an elephant; and Goldilocks’ takeaway. The bold colourful and witty illustrations make this a lovely picture book."

* The Poetry Zone *

"Appealing illustrations wrap around the poems on highly colourful pages making this a very attractive book. The strap line for this lively poetry collection is ‘Zippy Poems to Read Out Loud’ and they certainly invite you to do just that. This collection would be fun to share at home and even better in school with an enthusiastic chorus of voices. The simple structures and ideas are also perfectly pitched to inspire children to create their own poems."

* Books for Keeps *

"Featuring 19 upbeat poems, A Ticket to Kalamazoo is a delightful picture book of fun rhymes."

-- Book Trust: Books We Love in August 2024

"In Zooming the Zoo, you can learn the first rule of poetry: have fun! A really exciting, varied collection from one of the UK’s most popular poets and brilliant performer in schools and at festivals."

* West Sussex Schools Libra