Porridge poetry : $b Cooked, ornamented and served up by Hugh Lofting

A mischievous narrator declares himself the “Porridge Poet,” stirring verses the way a chef mixes ingredients—vermicelli, grammar, and a pinch of rhyme—to serve up playful, kitchen‑themed poems. The collection bounces from the jaunty “Lollipopinjay” who twirls on candy‑cane steps, to the salty banter of the “Pirate of the Kitchen Sink” sailing a coffee‑pot galley, each piece bubbling with word‑play, puns, and a generous dash of silliness.

Children are invited to join the quirky cast—Vera Virginia Ham dancing the “pig‑jig,” the cheeky Cook‑Goblins singing a food‑hymn, and a pair of talkative insects debating taste—while the verses rhyme with the rhythm of a lively kitchen. The poems celebrate imagination, music, and the simple joy of language, making every page feel like a lively potluck where rhyme and rhythm are the main courses.