Michael Rosen's Life and Work Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Children's Laureate

Unlike the main Poet Laureate the Children's Laureate rotates every two years, and the post was created in 1999. Michael was in the post from 2007 to 2009, the first being Quentin Blake, who also illustrates some of Michael's books. Although his most well known work is for children he soon began to write adult poetry as well as broadcasting on wider areas.

Answer: Throw stones at the phone

This is one of my favourite poems of all time, and can be found on many sites by searching 'Don't put mustard in the custard' to read it in full. It has also been read out on one of his radio programmes which is where I discovered it. It is about all the things you may as well be told not to do as well as the things you always are. "Don't throw fruit at the computer" being my favourite of them all.

Answer: Pinner

Sharing his origin with such greats as Elton John and nearby Russell Grant (the astrologer) from Harefield, Michael's family spent much of his childhood growing up above a shop in Pinner. Although in Middlesex at the time, Pinner was absorbed into Greater London in 1965.

It still retains Middlesex as a postal address. Catford is actually the origin of the comedian Ben Elton, and Michael lives in Hackney at the time of writing this in 2010.

Answer: Word of Mouth

Word of Mouth began on Radio 4 in 1992 with Frank Delaney and is currently still on for a few series a year alternating with others for the Tuesday 4pm spot. I have learnt an incredible amount about the origins of words and phrases from it and is a must for anyone interested in the language. It can be heard online for the previous episode broadcast as well as live each week when on.

Answer: Bears

"We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. What a beautiful day! We're not scared... We can't go over it. We can't go under it. Oh no! We've got to go through it!"

This is a favourite in schools and camps throughout the country, and has actions which huge crowds of children perform together. It has now become a stage production as well based on the poem.

Answer: Scritch and Scratch

Scritch and Scratch the wordy birds are from Liverpool and help Michael and Louise on their BBC School Radio programme teaching English to primary age children from 5-7. But even for an old timer like me they are very entertaining.

Answer: Breathe

If there's anything that can be prevented to the extreme it can only be breathing, in the poem "Strict", from the book "No Breathing in Class". In the live version Michael explains how he learnt ways to cheat and take breaths without the teacher looking while all around were keeling over.

Answer: Traditional left wing

As Michael both writes political articles and weaves it into his poetry it would be impossible not to include it in his personal history. He is what we call in the UK 'Old Labour', in comparison with Tony Blair's reinvention of the party towards the middle ground as 'New Labour'. Old fashioned socialist would be another reasonable description, regardless of any party allegiance. I would imagine he would have dreams of doing fairly unpleasant things to Margaret Thatcher.

Answer: Jewish

Michael is very much aware of his Jewish roots and history, and writes about persecution, prejudice and many other aspects of the collective culture. His other favourite topic is his schooldays, and roughly divides his adult and children's poetry along those lines.

Answer: Knickers

Also the title of a poetry book, the poem Centrally Heated Knickers is about a man who collects stickers. The book is all about science, with each poem teaching a particular area with notes on it underneath.