A lion’s mane and a guinea pig’s head An octopus’s tail and 25 legs Butterfly’s fingernails and ladybird’s knees A dragon’s body and a liking for peas Eyes like an owl and a Cheshire cat’s smile Hawk’s talons and wings like coral Rabbit’s ears and its noise is moo What could it be but a Chompachoo?

By Ruth Yates (aged 9) who receives Great Snakes (VikingPuffin). Submitted by Mr C Yates of Maharishi School, Ormskirk, Lancs, who receives the Poetry Society’s teacher’s newsletter, a quarterly bulletin which includes features on innovative approaches to poetry in the classroom. For Poetry Society events, ring 0171 240 4810.

A fabulous beast is always a good idea for a poem, and particularly an invented one, the more nonsensical the better! All the impossibilities in Ruth’s poem are pleasing and like all the best nonsense, the piece has its own kind of zany logic, none of the features cancelling each other out. The Chompachoo would be well worth drawing, and also involving in some adventures, perhaps with some other concocted creatures.