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The Toy 🍩🦜🍑🌻🌈🪐🛼🎈🐢 @thetoypress.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It's #NationalPoetryDay tomorrow, and the theme for this year is WONDER. To celebrate, here are a few wonder-filled poems from past editions of The Toy! Happy reading and enjoy poetry day! #NationalPoetryDay2026 #PoetryCommunity #Poetryforchildren

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Shaun Jex @shaunjexauthor.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

There’s a new word of the week from @thetoypress.bsky.social . The word is “super” Here’s my poem! #kidlit #poetry #writingforchildren

It’s a bird! It’s a plane!

Sometimes
I like to imagine
I’m the Lingít Superman
Powered by fry bread
And fresh g̱áax'w

Just think!
If I could soar
Through the blue sky
Like the mighty Kal-El
I’d be a basketball star

Never afraid
To take my shot
As the clock ticks down
And the whole game
Is on the line

I’d never
Get picked last
Or sit on the bench
But I might end up with
My photo in the paper

Of course
I wouldn’t brag
When you’re a hero
You just let your work
Talk for you

© Shaun Jex

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imanicv.bsky.social @imanicv.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Like, l am SUPER happy or that was SUPER fun I saw a SUPER beautiful morning sun SUPER is a word when no other word will do Like, I think that you are SUPER and I'm SUPER proud of you! @thetoypress.bsky.social #wordoftheweek #super #writingcommunity #writingforchildren #poetrycommunity 🎨 see ALT

The artist of this painting is the French contemporary painter Patricia Radix-Perrier.

Her signature style heavily features warm ochre-yellow clothing, texturized palette knife techniques, and emotive, semi-abstract figures of women and children interacting dynamically against cool-toned backgrounds.

The image shows an expressive, semi-abstract painting of an older child or figure in a mustard-yellow dress holding the hands of a smaller child who is lifted and swinging joyfully above a reflective surface.

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John Dredge @johndredge.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

@thetoypress.bsky.social

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The Toy 🍩🦜🍑🌻🌈🪐🛼🎈🐢 @thetoypress.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Always nice to pop into the National Poetry Library in London to see The Toy on display! All past editions no less!

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The Toy 🍩🦜🍑🌻🌈🪐🛼🎈🐢 @thetoypress.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

We have just taken delivery of our latest print edition and it looks turtle-y awesome! This edition is filled entirely with creators under 16 and there are some truly talented children out there! Help us share their work far and wide - you can purchase copies online now.

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imanicv.bsky.social @imanicv.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Furry fox with friends at play, having fun on a sunny day They laughed beneath the green oak trees and feasted on honey from the bees! #writingcommunity #writingforchildren #poetrycommunity #poetryforchildren @thetoypress.bsky.social #wordoftheweek #fox 🖼️ Katrina Sarap / KaterinaArtsFR

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Shaun Jex @shaunjexauthor.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I LOVED this week’s #wordoftheweek from @thetoypress.bsky.social . Here’s my poem. #writingforchildren #poetry #kidlit

The Fox

She looks like a bit of flame
Creeping her way through
The tall summer grasses
To the edge of the creek
Where she will gaze longingly
At the flock of water fowl
Dabbling on the far bank
Dreaming of a feast
So close, and yet, so far away

© Shaun Jex

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Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

This week I would like to present a representation of the inside of my brain in poem form. #WordOfTheWeek #Muddle #WritingCommunity #WritingForChildren #PoetryForChildren #PoetryCommunity

Boat

I got into a muddle in the middle of a puddle
when the pedal of my model boat from Lidl most befuddled me
I waddled to the puddle where I meddled with the pedal
but though straddling the puddle for to fiddle with the model boat
I found it not a doddle of a riddle in the puddle
and no medal would I model just for twiddling the pedal
so I waddled from the muddle in the middle of the puddle
left my model boat from Lidl with its pedal and skedaddled

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SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 17/09/2026

Oh! Oh dear I see what's happened here A tangle, a puzzle A mix-up, a muddle A mizzle, a curdle A skittle, a turtle No Don't fear I see what's happened here And here I am To help. #writingcommunity #writingforchildren #poetryforchildren #poetrycommunity

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imanicv.bsky.social @imanicv.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Little Sarah Huddle©️ Likes to splash in puddles ' Til mother hen says "Do come in to wash off all that muddle!" @thetoypress.bsky.social #wordoftheweek #muddle #writingcommunity #writingforchildren #poetrycommunity #poetryforchildren 🖼️ dreamstime

Free art on dreamstime:

A yellow baby y chick, wearing red rain boots, and splashing about in a puddle

Yellow daffodils, pink tulips, long green grass and a pale blue sky with puffy rain clouds, frame the whimsical image

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The Toy 🍩🦜🍑🌻🌈🪐🛼🎈🐢 @thetoypress.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

It's hard to believe we are gearing up to release our NINTH edition of The Toy! It is filled entirely by creators under 16 and we have some seriously talented children to showcase.

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daleneal8.bsky.social @daleneal8.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Hello everyone 👋 ... My first post He's always on the A list On everybody's playlist The funky, furry chap who put Hamsta Rap on the map Karaoke Mouse! Available in @thetoypress.bsky.social #UKKidLit #ChildrensPoetry #FunnyPoems @troikabooks.bsky.social #PoetryCommunity #IndiePublishing

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Greg Dobbins @thatgregdobbins.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

It's an old one of mine, but "reduce, reuse, recycle"... I'm not raking the lawn. Leaves.

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Anne Lipton, MD, PhD @annelipton.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Fall Gown Busy squirrels behave like thieves, tucking gems into the sleeves of lovely dresses made of leaves that Mother Autumn Nature weaves. -Anne Lipton #poem #PoetryPrompt #leaves #Poetrysky

Photograph of a Katsura tree fanning out with golden leaves, some scattered on the ground, with tall pine trees n the background.
📸: Anne Lipton in Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2024.

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Shaun Jex @shaunjexauthor.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Thanks to @thetoypress.bsky.social for the new #wordoftheweek! I plucked my poem from my grandma’s garden in Lacey, Washington. #poetry #poetrycommunity #kidlit #writingforchildren

Yard Work

Grandma is raking this morning
Rolling back the thick blanket
Of leaves fallen from the apple trees

Every so often, her work uncovers
A fat, black slug lazing cozily
Beneath a quilt of colorful debris

It stirs, as though we’ve disturbed
A long and restful nap, before
Stretching and slowly scooting away

© Shaun Jex

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imanicv.bsky.social @imanicv.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

A CUE is how we learn when to wake or sleep A CUE is how we learn when it’s time to eat When we learn the signals then we too will know a CUE we use most everyday is when to stop or go #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity #poetryforchildren #writingforchildren @thetoypress.bsky.social #cue 🖼️ istock

This image shows a cartoon illustration of a young boy with a backpack standing by a crosswalk next to a traffic light.

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Shaun Jex @shaunjexauthor.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I had a lot of fun with the newest word of the week from @thetoypress.bsky.social . Hope you enjoy! #kidlit #poetry #poetrycommunity

Shooting Stars

It’s after bedtime
And I’m dressed in pajamas
When Dad drags us outside
Saying, “Look up at the sky!”

The night air is thick—
Filled up with the summer song
Of katydids and tree frogs
Who seem to serenade the stars

As though beckoning
For them to shake the shackles
Of stillness away and join
Their simple celebration

Then, as if on cue,
Those great, glittering gems
Begin to waltz their way
Across the dance floor of the sky

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The Toy 🍩🦜🍑🌻🌈🪐🛼🎈🐢 @thetoypress.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Two weeks left to send us your kids' artwork, stories and poems for a chance of publication!

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SF Layzell @sflayzell.northsky.social · 26/07/2026

Let's play a game I'll be the moon I spin around like this You'll be my planet I orbit you Then you spin And orbit someone too Jack will be Jupiter Mo will be Mars Violet will be Venus The flowers will be stars We need a sun Oi! Will you be the sun? I'll be the moon I spin around like this.

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Stephen Connor @sconnor7.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Poem for @thetoypress.bsky.social word of the week.

Beware, the creep of darkness Until it pauses and takes a breath Steals shadows from the silhouettes Watches the sunlight's lonely death   Beware, the sound of the darkness An eerie silence hangs up high The stars sit lost and abandoned While casting a weary eye   Beware, the ghost of darkness Withholding a secret - the unknown The moon suspended, helpless A floating cold white stone   Beware, the solemn darkness It doesn't wait; it drifts 'Til morning breaks, it slinks away And daylight resumes its shift

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Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

After resisting the urge to write a poem about bottoms (again!) I managed to come up with this more considered effort. @thetoypress.bsky.social #WordOfTheWeek #Moon #PoetryCommunity #WritingCommunity #KidLit

The Pool

Trapped inside
The moon soaks up water
Like a fresh sponge
In a bath of twinkling
And popping
Starry suds

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Shaun Jex @shaunjexauthor.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

It's Monday. You know what that means. Another #wordoftheweek from @thetoypress.bsky.social . This week's word is MOON. Here's my poem based on the prompt. #poetry #poetrycommunity #kidlit #writingforchildren

The Man in the Moon

The Man in the Moon was lounging
Way up in the midnight sky

We shot off a bottle rocket
That struck him right in the eye

The Man in the Moon got angry
(They say he is rather vain)

He wept, “My good looks are ruined!”
And then he began to wane

The Man in the Moon kept sulking
Four weeks and a few days more

But then, he came back to see us
Just like every month before

- Shaun Jex

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Kay Medway @kaymedway.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

#wordoftheweek #poem

Cycling in moonlight as a moon child with moons for company.

My small moons are each made to be the coconut starlight,
frosted moon mint, silver sparkle chip, lunar glowberry
scoops of ice cream, held as we circle on bicycles
through an outside made luminous by one major moon
still above in the sky, its shine on an empty,
otherwise ordinary space.

The wheels of our bicycles are moon skins that have shed
their reflections on fallen mirrors that are really puddles.

A balloon of silvered moon on a star‑tail string
strung to our bike handles trails its glow behind us.

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John Dredge @johndredge.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

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Shaun Jex @shaunjexauthor.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I got to this a bit late in the week, but I still wanted to write a poem for @thetoypress.bsky.social #wordoftheweek . #poetry #poetrycommunity #kidlit #writingforchildren

Glory Days

You might suppose
We felt no joy in Mudville
When the final whistle blew
Signalling yet another loss
In a season of ignominy

The scoreboard read 3-0
Cementing our lowly status
As the only team in the league
Who failed to record a win
Or score a single goal

But we jogged off the pitch
With bright eyes and smiles
Knowing a pizza party awaited
And that pepperoni tasted better
Than victory ever could

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Graphic Arts & Type @graphicartstype.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

The Toy Celebrations Edition, with balloons cover illustration and design by Graphic Arts & Type. Incidentally this edition is sponsored by GA&T. #design #balloons #childrensliterature #kidslit #illustration @thetoypress.bsky.social

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The Toy 🍩🦜🍑🌻🌈🪐🛼🎈🐢 @thetoypress.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Submissions are now open for our 9th edition and as a one off we're letting the kids take over! That's right, budding writers and artists can submit their work (via an adult) from 1st July - 19th August. Contributors must be 16 or under (please see our submissions page).

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Shaun Jex @shaunjexauthor.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

I love the rain. This was such a fun #wordoftheweek from @thetoypress.bsky.social . Hope you enjoy. #kidlit #poetry #poetrycommunity #writingforchildren

The Weather Report

Tippity tap on the window
Tippity tap on the door
Tippity tap syncopation–
The sound of a summer downpour

Tippity tap is the flavor
Tippity tap razzmatazz
Tippity tap is the feeling
When summer swings thunderstorm jazz

copyright Shaun Jex

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The Toy 🍩🦜🍑🌻🌈🪐🛼🎈🐢 @thetoypress.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Psst! We're doing things a tad differently for our 9th edition. As a one off we're letting the kids take over! That's right, budding writers and artists can submit their work (via an adult) from 1st July - 19th August. We will be updating the submissions page with the following...

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Kay Medway @kaymedway.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

#wordoftheweek #poem #poetry

Lime or raspberry waves,
chocolatey shavings, toffee toppings, rippling mint, rainbow sprinkles,
the crunch of honeycomb bites,
the lemon zing of a thirst quenching lolly.
Ask for them at the sound of the ice cream van counter.
They will all quickly melt
as much as they cool.
by Kay Medway

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Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Forecast over the next few days in the UK is for the kind of sunny weather we are ill-equipped for! @thetoypress.bsky.social #WordOfTheWeek #PoetryCommunity #WritingCommunity #KidLit

Everything Melts

Tuesday 23rd June 2026

It's too hot!
Is the sun a bit cross?
A set aside lolly’s soon a complete loss.

Wednesday 24th June 2026

It's too hot!
Has the sun declared war?
I'm drinking liquid ice cream through a straw.

Thursday 25th June 2026

I give up!
The sun is the winner.
I guess I'll just have melted salad for dinner.

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Shaun Jex @shaunjexauthor.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

I'm staying spooky with my poem for the new #wordoftheweek from @thetoypress.bsky.social Enjoy! #poetry #poetrycommunity #kidlit #writingforchildren #spooky #halloweeniseveryday

It’s Alive!

The candles are aflicker
Their wax drips slowly down

A scientist is working
Dressed in a surgeon’s gown

The creature on her table
Slowly begins to stir

Its body is a nightmare
Of claws and ragged fur

Its eyes are full moon yellow
Its fangs like jagged knives

And soon the unbelievers
Will all plead for their lives

The creature has arisen
With fearsome appetite

The scientist’s mad laughter
Goes ringing through the night

shaun jex

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