Charlie has written a poetry anthology for 5-8 year olds called, “I Can’t Wear Those Pants!”
Inspired by traditional childhood themes and everyday activities the poems bring a kaleidoscope of bonkers to the page leaving children asking themselves, can boys really be princesses and what does happen if your pants don’t make your bum dazzle?
Weaving through the anthology are poems which hold a mirror up to the gender stereotypes boys and girls still face today.
I Can’t Wear Those Pants!
Mum says put your pants on.
But I say, no.
I can’t wear those pants I tell her
And here’s why, I go:
Chefs wear pants with eggs on
and Builder’s pants have bricks.
A Doctor’s pants have plasters
and a Gardener’s have sticks.
If you’re a Painter you have brushes
and a Vet has mice and rats.
A Teacher’s pants have pencils;
a Hat Salesman, he has hats.
My mum just doesn’t get it,
She doesn’t seem to see.
I can’t wear blue pants, stripes or spots,
Those pants all don’t show me.
My pants would need adventures,
They’d need clever plans and codes.
They’d need zooms and zags and ziggles
and twenty-seven modes.
My pants would need to be curious;
they’d have to be able to climb.
My pants would need sparkles and sprinkles
and they’d need to tell the time.
My pants would have super speedy stripes
and colour-changing frazzle.
I can’t wear the pants my mum says;
My bum deserves to dazzle.
