Colette Hiller is on the shortlist for the CLiPPA, CLPE Children’s Poetry Award with her book, Colossal Words for Kids illustrated by Tor Freeman.   The CLiPPA judges described it as indisputably original and ambitious, full of clever rhymes that shout out to be read aloud.

She has very kindly explained for us why children love colossal words and why rhyme is the best way to introduce them…

Children are natural wordsmiths.  They love knowing and using big words.  Despite this, adults often take pains to avoid seemingly sophisticated words.  But they needn’t.  For if a child can grasp a word’s concept, they’ll relish using the word itself.  Of course, a seven-year-old can understand a word like unbiased. What child doesn’t understand the principal of fairness?

There’s a wonderful feeling in knowing precisely the right word for something.  Like fitting in a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, it’s hugely satisfying.  And it lets you get right to the point: who’d ever want to say ‘second to last’ when instead you could say penultimate!

That was the thinking behind my book Colossal Words for Kids, which introduces seventy-five useful, big words. From capacious to voracious, procrastinate to zest, these seemingly sophisticated words are more usually taught in secondary school but now younger children can understand and enjoy them. For these are no ordinary dictionary definitions.  Move over Mr. Webster!  Each word in this collection is defined in a simple rhyme.  These meanings aren’t just told to you, instead each unfolds, giving the reader a sense of personal discovery.  This makes the business of learning a new word entertaining rather than laborious.

Take the word retaliate. The dictionary definition is flat: ‘to perform one action in response to another’. But define it in rhyme and it’s immediately accessible!

Retaliate

If somebody calls you an old kangaroo

You might retaliate and call them one too

If someone should try, to give you a thwack

You might retaliate and give them one back

But really you mustn’t respond in this way

No need to retaliate, just walk away!

Writing each of these poems was like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube.   I didn’t want to simply define each word. Instead, I wanted these definitions to reveal themselves in surprising ways. Take brevity:

Brevity

When you speak with brevity

you don’t bang on and on.

You quickly make your point and you don’t

faff or take too long.

When you write with brevity

the very same is true.

Why would you use 100 words

when 42 will do?

Ultimately, the reason to teach vocabulary from an early age is not to create irritating youth who can sail through exams (though that may be an added bonus!).  The real aim is to spark a lasting joy of language. When we teach young children ambitious words, we show them that they are not intruders and that the English language is theirs for the taking!  And that learning big words needn’t be even faintly… soporific!

Soporific

 The speech was very boring

And exceptionally long

The speaker’s soporific voice

Droned on and on and on

And though the people listening

Tried hard to stay awake

Her soporific speaking put them

In a drowsy state

Now and then the speaker stopped

To give a little cough

Not noticing the audience

Had gently drifted off!

~

Many thanks again to Colette for writing about Colossal Words for Kids.

You can find out more about this book and all the other titles shortlisted for the 2025 CLiPPA using the links below or find all this year’s nominees with great discounts for schools by clicking here.