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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@bardymum.bsky.social

1.8K followers 1.3K following 370 posts

Poet, mainly for children (more fun!) but I occasionally adult… Winner of YorkMix Poems for Children '21. Kids’ collection out now: Why did my brain make me say it? School visits in Watford, St Albans, London & further afield www.sarahziman.co.uk

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Feb 20

Teachers always seem to like this poem for some reason :)

#Ofsted #poem #poetry #kidlituk

The Return of Derek Drew (after Allan Ahlberg)
Please Mrs Butler
That boy Derek Drew
Has got a job with Ofsted now
What shall I do?
Plan your lessons well, dear.
Anticipate mistakes.
Provide sufficient challenge, my lamb.
Bring in homemade cakes.
Please Mrs Butler
Inspector Derek Drew
is writing on a clipboard now.
What shall I do?
Snap his pen in half, dear.
Tell him you're supply.
Pretend you saw a wasp, love.
Set fire to his tie.
Please Mrs Butler
Inspector Derek Drew
is talking to the children now.
What shall I do?
Pray he's found a clever one.
Seize your chance to flee.
Take some special measures, my flower.
But don't ask me!

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Reposted by Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Hilary Elder (she/her) @hilaryelder.bsky.social · Aug 18

Here is a new blog post about some fantastic summer reading. Dive in!
bit.ly/45xfu6R
@attielime.bsky.social @bardymum.bsky.social @robwaltonwriter.bsky.social

Summer time is reading time! a book review special – Hilary Elder

bit.ly

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Jul 19

It was amazing to go to the Wales Book of the Year ceremony in Cardiff on Thursday - no win for ‘Why did my Brain make me say it?’ but I’m still delighted to have been on the shortlist of 3 in the children’s and young people category. Congratulations to all the winners 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

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Reposted by Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Kirsten Allen (@kidsstoryworld) @kidsstoryworld.bsky.social · May 23

Hello all -my lovely #kidlit friends please please can you help by sharing? 🙏🙏🙏
Minty has been in our friendship group since uni (over 20 years. In Jan he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
www.gofundme.com/f/stuart-minty
Please please please share (and/or donate but only if you are able to)

Donate to Help Stuart Minty get Treatment in Germany, organized by Aileen Minty

In January of this year our world was turned completely upside down when devas… Aileen Minty needs your support for Help Stuart Minty get Treatment in Germany

www.gofundme.com

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · May 12

Happy birthday Sam. I’m sure I will always be excited on my children’s birthdays, no matter how old they get. You were so loved and that doesn’t change but it must be hard

Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Apr 19

Back from holidays to this lovely review of ‘Why did my brain make me say it?’ from @lizpoet.bsky.social at Poetry Roundabout. Thank you so much! poetryroundabout.com/2025/04/18/p... #kidlituk #ukkidlit #childrenspoetry

Poetry Review: Why Did my Brain Make Me Say It? By Sarah Ziman

This is a Key Stage 2 book I waited what seems an eternity for. Sarah is an excellent wordsmith with a fantastically playful and wicked sense of humour paired with a perceptive mind, and I was anti…

poetryroundabout.com

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Apr 15

Just picked up a copy of this as I really enjoyed Sue’s debut

Sue H Cunningham☁️💘 @suehcunningham.bsky.social · Apr 15

Happy Easter!🐣
If you like books with your chocolate, my YA supernatural romcom #CloudNine ☁️💘 is on a kindle deal this week - a bargain at just £1.69. Why not treat yourself? 😋 #Easter
@tbpagency.bsky.social

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Apr 7

Best four words in the English language:

‘Out of office on’

🥳

Reposted by Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Sital Gorasia Chapman @sgorasiachapman.bsky.social · Mar 28

✨️NEW BOOK!!✨️

Book 6 of THE MATHS ADVENTURERS series is out on 5th June 2025!

When Beep and Boots notice that their library needs more books, they arrange a school fair to buy some more. Can they raise enough money to fill the library?

Illustrated by @susannarumiz.bsky.social

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Apr 1

Children’s poetry has been a great ride, but I have less time for it these days, as my new venture is really taking off! If you’d like to join my course teaching the secrets of AI publishing and how to write, edit and publish your book in a week, sign up! bit.ly/4ji7Cdn

Reposted by Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Mar 21

From my book ‘Why did my brain make me say it?’ published by @troikabooks.bsky.social. #kidlituk

coralrumble.bsky.social @coralrumble.bsky.social · Mar 21

It’s World Down Syndrome Day, so just the right time to share this superb poem by @bardymum.bsky.social

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Mar 21

From my book ‘Why did my brain make me say it?’ published by @troikabooks.bsky.social. #kidlituk

coralrumble.bsky.social @coralrumble.bsky.social · Mar 21

It’s World Down Syndrome Day, so just the right time to share this superb poem by @bardymum.bsky.social

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Mar 21

Thanks so much Coral

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Mar 20

Happy book birthday to the brilliant @robwaltonwriter.bsky.social whose wonderfully eccentric collection of flash/short-short stories (with footnotes!) ‘Please don’t read the footnotes please’ is out today with @theemmapress.bsky.social. It’s so much fun! #kidlituk

Yellow cover of ‘Please don’t read the footnotes please’ with blue cartoon illustrations inc mammoth, sweets etc

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Reposted by Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Books for Keeps, the online children's books review journal @booksforkeeps.bsky.social · Mar 12

The 2025 Jericho Prize for Children's Writing is now open 🖊️

The prize is dedicated to showcasing the next generation of Black-British children’s writers & is open to unpublished and self-published Black-British writers. #Writing #Writingforchildren

Find out more
tinyurl.com/yy3a5b9b

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Mar 13

Amazon: Ever wonder if your reviews (of writer friends’ wonderful books) are being noticed? They are!

Me: Great! It takes me a while and I know they’re helpful.

Amazon: Now, why not write a review of the Morrisons’ own-brand baking powder you bought last week as part of a weekly shop?

Me:

a woman with a bandana on her head is laughing with the caption aint nobody got time for that

Alt: a woman with a bandana on her head is laughing with the caption aint nobody got time for that

media.tenor.com

Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Mar 12

Howdy Roger!

Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Mar 6

Happiest of book birthdays to @attielime.bsky.social, whose l baby bounces into bookshops for #worldbookday today. Do pick up your copy of these fantastic #poemsforchildrens - perfect for KS1 and sweet as strawberries 🍓 💙📚 #kidlituk

Yellow cover of ‘blue jelly and strawberries’ by Attie Lime with a large blue jelly on a pink plate ringed with strawberries and children gleefully bouncing on it

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Mar 1

That’s a devoted fan 🥰

Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Mar 1

Happy St David’s Day/Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus! 🌼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

My poem and a translated version from @hananelizabethissa.bsky.social’s English and Welsh/English anthologies from @fireflypress.bsky.social ‘And I hear Dragons’, poems about dragons by a diverse range of modern Welsh poets.

#kidlituk #wales

Y Ddraig Goch - meaning the Red dragon
Sarah Ziman

Flame-breathing

Cave-dwelling

Smoke-wreathing

Hero-felling

Wing-spreading

Valley-soaring

Mountain-treading

Thunder-roaring

Scale-shining

Thief-detecting

Gold-reclining

Hoard-protecting

Castle-smiting

Knight-frustrating

Bonfire-lighting

Myth-creating

Gem-acquiring

Battle-scarring

Awe-inspiring

Our-flag-starring...
DRAGON!

Y Ddraig Goch (same poem but fully in Welsh)
Sarah Ziman

Tân-anadlu Ogof-drigo
Mwg-ymblethu Arwr-drechu Adain-ledu
Aur-orweddian Carnedd-droedio
Taran-ruo
Cen-ddisgleirio Cnaf-synhwyro Dyffryn-esgyn Celc-amddiffyn Castell-ddychryn Marchog-oresgyn Coelcerth-danio
Chwedl-lunio Deimwnt-gipio Brwydr-greithio Ysbrydoledig
Gwyrdd-fanerog...
DDRAIG!

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Feb 28

Ooh, lovely

Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Feb 27

Good point! At least there are no embarrassing sex references in children’s poetry 😂

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Reposted by Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

English and Media Centre @engmediacentre.bsky.social · Feb 26

Summer always comes early at EMC. We'll be posting our summer course programme on our website in the next couple of weeks. Keep a look out, and in the meantime here's what's on offer this half-term! englishandmedia.co.uk/courses/

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Feb 27

Do you actually live in the Stitchwort mansion??

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Feb 27

Mama’s gotta sell some mighty expensive poems 😆

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Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Feb 27

Last day for #Readitforward! Buy childrens’s and YA books without billionaires being involved!

Sarah Ziman - aka BardyMum 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @bardymum.bsky.social · Feb 24

While February lasts, buy your children’s/YA books from @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social and they’ll donate 10% to @booktrust.org.uk and @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social. Plus you’ll be supporting indie bookshops. It’s a great time to buy ‘Why did my brain make me say it’, from @troikabooks.bsky.social

Read it forward. Shows cover of why did my brain make me say it? with quote from Brian Bilston ‘I love these poems. What a fabulous, fun-packed, fantastic collection’

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