Kenn Nesbitt has been named the new Children's Poet Laureate: Consultant in Children's Poetry to the Poetry Foundation, which noted that the two-year position comes with a $25,000 prize and "aims to raise awareness that children have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them." He succeeds J. Patrick Lewis.
"With the appointment of Kenn Nesbitt, we welcome a new generation of poets who will continue to delight the hearts and excite the minds of children everywhere," said Poetry Foundation president John Barr.
At 51, Nesbitt is the youngest poet ever to hold the title. His books of poetry for children include The Tighty-Whitey Spider, My Hippo Has the Hiccups and Revenge of the Lunch Ladies. In addition to publishing his work in anthologies, magazines and textbooks worldwide, his poems have also been adapted to other media, including music and film.
