The thing that mattered most : Scottish poems for children

What is the thing that matters most? Is it a sly kiss? An abandoned flip flop? A pebble? A rainbow in a puddle? The wolf in the park? A dreaming house? Saying sorry? Asking why? Is it in the water, in the sky, in the wild, in the country, in Scotland, in the family - or is it in your head? "The Thing that Mattered Most" is a lively anthology full of poems with a distinctive Scottish flavour that will delight and inspire young readers.

It is the only collection of poems for children available by contemporary Scottish poets.

Almost sixty Scottish poets are represented in the collection, with poems in English, Scots, Gaelic, and Shetlandic.

Each poem is accompanied by a bite-size biographical piece by the poet.

An outstanding collection featuring new poems by Scotland finest and best-loved poets, it brings together Carol Ann Duffy, Jackie Kay, Edwin Morgan, Liz Lochhead, John Burnside, Matthew Fitt, James Robertson, Kevin MacNeil, Richard Edwards, Julia Donaldson and many more. Many of the poets included have extensive experience of working in Scottish schools and the anthology will prove a useful educational tool in the classroom, providing teachers with a much-needed store of fresh Scottish poems.

The volume is backed up with valuable web resources designed by the Scottish Poetry Library's education team to enable teachers to use the poems in class to inspire a love of language and encourage creative writing in class.

It comes with a preface by Michael Morpurgo.