The Magic Box

Story

You can put anything in the box – a snowman, dragon’s fire, even the first smile of a baby. The box can be made of anything you want – stars, secrets, or dinosaur toes. In the box, you can do anything – even surf! – no matter how strange or impossible it might seem.

Why we chose it

A great poem to read aloud and perfect for children to use as a starting point for their own poetry.

Where it came from

Kit Wright (b.1944) is an award-winning English author, who writes for both children and adults. Following a scholarship to Oxford, Wright became a lecturer in Canada, before returning the England to work as a full-time writer with a position in the Poetry Society. Prior to writing The Magic Box he had already won many awards, including the Faber Memorial Prize (1978), the Arts Council Writers Award (1985), the Heinemann Award (1990) and the Hawthornden Prize (1991).

Where it went next

The Magic Box is Wright’s best-known poem for children. It is often read in schools, and Wright himself often does readings of the poem. His poems for children are much beloved, by turns comic, silly, sad, and magical.

Associated stories

Wright has written countless other volumes of poetry, for both children and adults. His volumes for children include Cat Among the Pigeons (1987), which is illustrated by Posy Simmonds and features one of his most beloved characters, Dave Dirt. He has also written several picture books for younger children, including Tigerella (1993), and its sequel, Dolphinella (1994), both illustrated by Paul Bailey.