Talking Turkeys by Benjamin Zephaniah

Talking Turkeys Reviews

• 
  Zaid

  This book is ‘Dedicated to the earth and the children who care’ (Zephaniah B, p5).
  Let’s get this straight. There are some poems here that don’t promote correct punctuation and grammar as the words are often phrased in Jamaican Patois. It’s also unconventional, strange and confusing in parts. That said, this collection, strange as it is; is quite charming and clever, very humorous and does have a tendency to make you want to turn the page to see what’s coming next. The collection has a range of poems including the gentle but humorous ‘Little Sister’ on p20; the self titled ‘Talking Turkeys’ p88 (who are cool, have a love for reggae and hip hop and would make great guests alive at Christmas apparently!); and the anti grammatical ‘According to my mood ‘on p24 (‘I have poetic licence, I WriTe thE way I want, I drop my full stops where I like… ‘) - gives you an idea of what I mean.
  This is a great read aloud book suited to KS2 children and has some really unique illustrations and photographs that bring each page to life. Would I recommend it? Of course I would. If only to see, read and believe it for yourself! Enjoy.
  
• 
  Mathew

  First published in 1994, Zephaniah's poems are as fresh and relevant as they were back then. With topics ranging from veganism to protecting the planet and all life on it, this collection of poems provides a wonderful blend of performance poetry that can be enjoyed by all. He provokes conversations on the monarchy (he was ALWAYS going to refuse that OBE - it's clear in his words right here) and he has some strong yet affecting thoughts on consumerism and preservation of our wonderful planet. I loved it.
• 
  Sandra Gerrits

  The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars is that there are a few poems 'I don't get'. Luckily there are only two or three of them so I can live with it. The other poems I love. I read and reread them over and over again and i still think they're brilliant.
  
  So 5-stars for most
  2 stars for a few
• 
  Jane Scholey

  Love these poems.
• 
  Eloise Battey

  I absolutely love poetry and this love was sparked when I discovered Benjamin Zephaniah and his work. I actually have my own signed copy of this book as I use to always attend live performances of Zephaniah performing his work, in which I would also bring my pile of his poetry books to. The poem in this book ‘talking turkeys!!’ may be my favourite Zephaniah poem as it is so fun to read and I love the way in which Zephaniah manages to throw his voice into the book by the way in which he writes and words that he uses ‘Be nice to yu turkeys dis Christmas’.
  The types of poems that Zephaniah writes are so different and I think this demonstrates to children that poems should allow you to write about absolutely anything that you want to. This book in particular also tells the reader a lot about Zephaniah and his personal life which I think is really nice for children and helps them to feel more connected to the author.
  
• 
  Zoe Hickey

  I enjoyed this book of poems as they are all based on things going on in the world. These poems are written in such a clever way that you can almost hear the author saying them as you read.
  
  I have selected a few to read to a year four class - after we will discuss the topics, such as monarchy and peace.
• 
  Nang Michelle

  I like the ryhmings better. Although they were not quite good. The rest are of personality poems, concerning with the poet.
• 
  Isobel

  Talking Turkeys by Benjamin Zephaniah
  These poems are exciting for children to read as they are based on Benji and his life.
  
  It also teaches children about slang.
  
  The poems make the reader want to continue reading as they are playful, engaging and funny.
  
  The poems are also good for teaching children about rhyming couplets and they teach children about how poems can be structured.
  
  Some of the poems teach children about history, jobs, Christmas, greeting from different countries etc.
  
  
  The message of this poem for children is it teaches them a lesson that poetry can be fun and playful. If poetry is fun it may encourage children to continue reading which will improve their reading pace, spellings and vocabulary.
  
  I would recommend this poetry book because I was inspired by the different poems; when reading them I enjoyed the structure of the poems and the funny humour.
• 
  Daniel

  These poems are great!
  
  I love the musical quality to Zephaniah's lines; his rhythms are incredibly catchy. Many of these poems are pro-vegan/animal rights but I like the way he does this – in a way that doesn't really vilify those who eat animals but simply persuades them in a cheery way to also become very animal conscious.
  
  Clever and fun!
• 
  Denise

  Reading this anthology has brought back to mind the fact that I really miss reading poetry. This anthology is really punny and I appreciated the messages expressed by the writer. I also acknowledge that Benjamin is dyslexic but this did not inhibit the messages he was promoting.
• 
  Kaitlyn Clark

  A classic poem! I really enjoyed this as a child myself.
  
  It has comedic aspects as its about Turkeys who don't want to be eaten at Christmas
  
  its also interesting with the way the words are spelt, this is called eye dialect as it reflects the place the author is from - Zephaniah is Jamaican
• 
  manel queiroz

  had to read this for a uni project. ended up enjoying it quite a lot.
• 
  Andrew Howdle

  A distinctive poetry book for children, wildly creative.
• 
  Kei

  one of my favourite poets he never misses
• 
  ✨annabel is reading ✨

  it was ok..
• 
  neil

  Sociologists
  Physicists
  Archaeologists
  And
  Anthropologists
  Like
  Dieticians
  Rhetoricians
  Mathematicians
  And
  Politicians
  Are simple people,
  Help them.
• 
  Jessica

  I read this book whilst I was on my placement in year 5. After experiencing some Benjamin Zephaniah poems in my English class whilst at IMO and I thought it was a great poem, so after finding it in the book corner of the class, I thought I'd read some more. I read a variety of his poems including running, little sister and according to my mood. I thought that these poems would be excellent t to use in an English lesson as they most commonly about things the children would have experienced themselves and I think they would also be great fun to perform. I think that the use of both colloquial and formal language will help highlight areas in which they are most suitable to be used. Accompanied by amusing illustrations and shape poems, I feel that this collection of poems are a great introduction to different types of poetry. Zephaniah has a knack of making poetry accessible and fun for children of all ages.
• 
  Milly

  A really wonderful poetry book for children, and even though I am past the age of being a child i truly enjoyed it. I read while listening to the poems that I could find on the music service Wimp, and I think this is one of the best ways to enjoy Zephhaniahs poetry. He truly is a master of spoken word.
  
  Some of the poems were "just" good, but most were amazing in my opinion. I would have loved to grow up reading this, because not only were they great word art, but also had a moral most of the time. One of the big issues that Zephaniah brings up is enviormental issues, and he does this in a way that makes it interesting for children, and very relatable.
  
  Some of my favorite poems are "Fear not", "Who's who", "A killer lies", "Civil lies", "For sale" and "A beetle called Derek"
• 
  Imogen

  To get hyped up for seeing Benjamin Zephaniah perform some of his poems, I thought it would be a good idea to read through my battered and loved copy of Talking Turkeys (now signed!). I love the poems in this collection, they're definitely aimed at kids but Zephaniah knows what he's doing and he does it well. The poem that led me to eventually become a vegetarian is in this book and I think it's a great little number to pick up for kids that maybe need a helping hand into poetry.
  
  Review originally posted on
  Imogen’s Typewriter.
• 
  Fameeda

  Benjamin Zephaniah provides a streetwise approach to poetry which sends out messages in a humourous way. Talking Turkeys is another childhood memory which was read to my primary school class a number of times. It's beat and rythm makes it more enjoyable for children to participate and interact with. It is also a great poetry book to teach children and give them a greater insight into equality and diversity. This is an endearing and captivating book which is great fun to read for children as well as adults! :)