A brilliant book that puts the reader in the shoes of a child in poverty, acknowledging the frustration and sense of injustice a child feels when they can’t have the things their friends take for granted.
This picture book acknowledges that not every child is able to go on holiday and shows that it is possible to have fun at home for free with a little bit of creativity and imagination.
Sharing this story with a child would be a good catalyst for a conversation about kindness and resilience. The Last Chip has important messages about the harmful effects of bullying and violence, and challenges negative stereotypes of homeless people and those in poverty.
Highlighting the fact that families come in all shapes and sizes, this book celebrates diversity, explaining how every personal situation is different. It's a good book for debunking the traditional storybook myth that happy families usually consist of mother, father and two children.
May encourage a child who is frightened of spiders to look more favourably upon these fascinating creatures. The book also reflects the ageing process, and may strike a chord with a child who has lost an elderly relative. Additionally, it has underlying themes of tolerance and acceptance.
The Frog in the story learns that doing simple festive activities with a friend can be as much (if not more) fun than a lavish, all-singing-all-dancing Christmas. The Bear who welcomes Frog into his home is generous and considerate.
Explores the concept of unfairness in a child-friendly way and encourages children to come to terms with this emotion. Also touches upon the subject of anger and violence as the child in the story feels like 'hitting out' when she considers things to be unfair.
