Michael Rosen writes 'stuff'. He doesn't mind whether its called poetry or not, but he likes writing that sort of thing and children like reading it.

Michael's parents were both teachers, and so were many of their friends. In fact, when Michael was young he claims that he believed that everyone was a teacher and, if they weren't, they ought to be!

Despite this, Michael never became a teacher himself. Originally, he wanted to be an actor but then he started training as a doctor. He then changed to studying English at University and finally became a writer. His first collection of poems, Mind Your Own Business, was published in 1974. It is a collection of poems about when Michael was boy: his relationships with his brother and his parents, and his perceptions of the world around him.

Since then, Michael has written many anthologies of poems and edited collections of classic poems. He has also written some picture books. Michael writes anywhere, scribbling down his 'stuff' on buses, trains, beaches, as well as in his own back garden.

As a child, Michael's favourite books included Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Erich Kastner's Emil and the Detectives.