What is Michael Rosen Day?
Michael Rosen Day, set up in 2024, is a celebration of national treasure, poet and author Michael Rosen. The day is all about celebrating creativity, poetry and reading for pleasure.
When is Michael Rosen Day?
Michael Rosen Day takes place on 12th November 2024. Michael will be delivering a special virtual live event at 10am in partnership with literary charity, Read for Good, hosted by MC Grammar.
The day will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of Michael’s first-ever book, and the 35th anniversary of We’re Going On A Bear Hunt.
Find out more at michaelrosen.co.uk/michaelrosenday.
How to celebrate
This resource pack will help you celebrate Michael Rosen Day in a way that works for you. You might want to try everything or pick and choose.
There is a suggested framework for the day and age-specific activities using some of Michael’s books and poems.
To make the most of Michael Rosen Day, follow these three stages:
Read: Read some of Michael’s poems and books together, then explore what you’ve read.
Create: Use what you’ve read to inspire children’s creativity – it might be writing their own poems or stories, or thinking of ways to interpret or perform the poems.
Share: Bring everything together and share your creativity. It might be performing Michael’s poems, reading out poems children have written, letting children lead their grown-ups on a bear hunt, putting up displays, setting up a stage – celebrate however works for you.
Q&A with Michael Rosen
Q) This year will see the first ever Michael Rosen Day. How does it feel to be a living legend?
A) A long time ago, there used to be a joke – not mine – about someone being ‘a legend in their own lunchtime’. If I could be a legend in several lunchtimes, I would be very proud.
Q) What will you be getting up to on Michael Rosen Day?
Doing exactly what I’m told to do. I’m very biddable when it comes to big occasions. This feels very, very big, so you can be absolutely sure I will be there.
One thing will be to do a live interview and performance with the amazing MC Grammar. I think rapping will be involved. I will also eat some raisins, in order to prove that my real name is ‘Michael Raisin’.
Q) What would you like to say to teachers?
I just hope that teachers can find time in their very busy curriculum to fit in reading for pleasure and talking about books without worrying too much about comprehension during those times. Reading books teaches children a huge amount anyway.
Michael Rosen’s manifesto for reading
- Reading books helps children make the most of what school and the world offer them.
- Books give children language, thoughts, ideas and feelings.
- Books show them places and times and cultures very near and dear to them.
- Books show them places and times and cultures they may not have come across before.
- Books help children walk in other people’s shoes, seeing things from someone else’s point of view.
- Books help children see that they are not alone.
- We have to do what we can to put books into children’s hands.
- We have to do what we can to find space and time for children to talk about books.
- We have to celebrate children’s books.
- Children’s books are for everyone because we are all children at some time or another.
Browse more Michael Rosen resources.
