Written by Matthew Burgess
March 18, 2025
From award-winning author Matthew Burgess and Caldecott medalist Doug Salati comes a spellbinding collection of poems for young readers that celebrates the power of words to awaken the imagination and alchemize the everyday.
Beyond the doorway of the first page of this collection awaits a dragon piñata, an alligator on the A train, a hungry yeti, an ice cream dream, jetpack sneakers, midnight firelight, a gray day, a plump tomato, a serious question and so much more. Whether you’re feeling blue, lemon yellow or Day-Glo green, this inviting and magical book of poems takes young readers on an uplifting journey through everyday moments, moods and experiences, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. With enchanting illustrations throughout and seven die-cut portals that open into the realms of Welcome, Wonder, Wild, Weee!, Whoops & Wallops, Windows and Whispers & Well Wishes, Words With Wings and Magic Things explores how words can awaken us to a world of wonder and possibility. Step inside . . . and take flight!
★ “A tasty mix of visionary and nonsense verses, lavishly illustrated by a recent Caldecott Medalist... Burgess displays a keen intuition for what will get kids laughing—and what will make them think… Broad and subtle in turn—verse to stay with readers for years to come.” –Kirkus (STARRED REVIEW)
★ “This is an extraordinary collection filled with poems to savor and illustrations that will both captivate and delight young readers. Sure to be read and enjoyed again and again, this is a highly recommended addition for all library collections.” –School Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW)