Dear Ugly Sisters

A varied, effervescent and thought-provoking debut collection from a poet already well-known through anthologies, websites, literary events and poetry workshops.

Tonight I fancy a flight,
so I shuffle my short feathers
and jump.


Original, dazzling and unconventional, this brilliant first solo collection has a surprise on every page.
Go on a night flight, have a monster’s lunch, immerse yourself in birdsong. Shout out an Apatosaurus rap before checking out Alexander Fleming’s petri dish. Find fairy tales with a twist, poems to make you laugh – and reflective poems to think about.


Full of variety, wit and warmth, this is a spectacular debut from a poet to watch!

“"What a brilliant debut collection of poetry." --Jo Bowers, Associate Dean, Cardiff Metropolitan University”

"An effervescent debut collection."

Achuka Book of the Day

"I predict this book will give laughter, thoughts, questions, comfort - and sow the seeds of a love for poetry in any young person who reads it or has it read to them. A must for every library, home and school. BIG recommendation."

Poetry Roundabout 5 star review

"What a brilliant debut collection of poetry..."

-- Jo Bowers Associate Dean, Cardiff Metropolitan University

"An outstanding new voice in children's poetry with her debut collection of varied, effervescent and thought-provoking poems."

Books Go Walkabout

"Fresh and accessible, there are shape poems, haiku, poems constructed for the sheer joy of hearing their words said aloud...a wonderful book."

Red Reading Hub

"A delight - lively, original and covering an eclectic range of subjects."

The Independent Best 10 Kids' Poetry Books

"A really lovely addition to a class poetry collection."

Reading Zone

"A stunningly original collection of accessible poems from the witty and wry to more thought-provoking and wise."

-- Book Trust - Books we Love

"I enjoyed the variety of subjects and perceptive interpretations, the humour and the originality. This book is a must for every school library and classroom collection, with much to enjoy for children reading the poems to themselves or for reading aloud."

-- School Librarian

"So clever and so funny."

-- Mina Holland Instagram - 25.5K followers

"This excellent debut has something for everyone. Fresh, original and full of a delightful mixture of the fun and the serious, this will have children aged 6-12 both laughing and reflecting. Rich in language and rhythm...themes include nature, science, space plus emotions and feelings and it will also be a really useful book for supporting empathy."

-- Annie Everall The Open University Top Reads

"This is the sort of book that erupts between the covers and spills out into the surrounding air in a way that only poetry has the capacity to do. A book to be read aloud to children of all ages and one which young readers will be enthralled by. These are visual poems both in their poetic structure and the brilliantly bold illustrations by Tania Rex."

Adventures in Home School

"Poems with a message or a moral can be a turn-off, but Laura manages to deal with them with a lightness of touch which makes them all the more effective...a lot to enjoy and provoke thought in pupils from a wide age-range."

NATE Teaching English

"Witty and unconventional."

Library Girl & Book Boy

"...equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking A wonderful example of how poetry can support in connecting, empathising with & making sense of experiences and emotions."

-- Charlotte Hacking (CLPE)

"A cornucopia of poetic delights, which are perfect for using in school. There is so much creativity and joy in these pages, making it a dream for inspiring children and encouraging them to play with words and ideas."

North Somerset Teachers' Book Awards blog

Laura Mucha is an award-winning poet, author and speaker. She has won two international poetry prizes (the Caterpillar Poetry Prize 2016 and the inaugural YorkMix Poems for Children 2019), and her effervescent and thought-provoking poems have been published around the world. She also writes for adults, and her debut book Love Factually / We Need to Talk About Love was published in 2019. Dear Ugly Sisters is her first book for children. Laura lives with her husband and son in London. You can read and listen to more of her work at lauramucha.com. @lauramucha.

Tania Rex was born and raised in Vilnius, Lithuania and finds it to be one of the most inspiring cities. She graduated in Graphic Design from Vilnius Academy of art and began her career designing book covers and children’s magazines. She is a full-time illustrator and lives in Vilnius.

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