Oh goodness me, picture books once again have the power to completely break our resolve not to be big crybabies with this beautifullty heartfelt tale from Duncan Beedie. "The Last Chip" is our first Picture Book of the Week this week... Meet Percy. Now, we're definitely not what you could describe as "Pigeon lovers" by any stretch of the imagination (their cooing early mornings in the spring drives us absolutely batty at home) but you just can't help but fall for Percy as soon as you meet him. He's such a tiny little fellah, and every morning he dutifully turns up at the train station ready to peck up any crumbs that commuters might drop on their way to work. The big problem (or should we say BIG FEATHERY PROBLEMS) come in the form of a gang of unruly pigeons who always greedily bundle in every time there's any food around. They squeeze poor Percy out (one in particular made us cackle, a rather ornery looking pigeon with those horrible missing / stumpy feet you sometimes see pigeons in London hobbling around on - EEKS!) Soon the tiny little pidge realises he needs to look further afield for his grub. He tries the park, but the ducks are nasty and don't like anyone muscling in on their pond / birdseed racket. He flies as far as the coast. Poor Percy doesn't even find any grub there as nasty piratical seagulls are having none of this landlubber trying to peck up their fish-and-chip suppers! So what will Percy do? Weak, starving and absolutely exhausted he sadly heads back to the city - and finds an unexpected friend and thankfully finally gets to share supper with someone who gives him their last chip, even though they're down on their luck themselves. Oh it was that bit - it just had us blubbing like babies. Such a gorgeous warm message and if you're not bawling by the end of this book, you have no heart. I think this is Duncan's best work yet (certainly the illustrations are luxuriously gorgeous, I mean just LOOK at them!) - But C pointed out that we're not allowed to like this more than "The Bear Who Stared" (it's very, VERY close though!) Worth noting that some of the proceeds of this book will be donated to The Trussell Trust - a very worthy cause that fits beautifully with the book's core message and story. What a lovely gesture and just one more reason why you need this book in your life. C's best bit: The evil stump-footed pigeon who stalks the railway station. Eeesh! Daddy's favourite bit: A beautiful message, utterly amazing and gorgeous illustrations, the tender warm heart of a truly lovely story and yes, we did blub. Wonderful work, Duncan! * Read It Daddy Blog *
The Last Chip, written and illustrated by Duncan Beedie and published by Templar Publishing is a beautiful tale about a little pigeon who conveys a big message. Percy is a small pigeon who is always hungry but life is tough on the streets when it comes to food, there always seems to be bigger, stronger birds who beat him to the crumbs. Percy thinks of lots of different places where he might be able to get something to eat only to find the same problem, the other birds keep the food for themselves and Percy is too small to fight for it. Downhearted and hungry, Percy heads back to the city streets where he happens upon a stranger, a stranger who has very little just like him, a stranger who is kind and offers him her last chip. A gentle colour palette combined with plenty of action make for striking illustrations and cleverly mix with the text to create an engaging read. The story is set in Bristol, Duncan Beedie's hometown, with beautiful double page spreads of buildings and landmarks that will be recognisable to those familiar with the area. We love the subtly in which Duncan manages to weave important environmental and humanitarian issues into his picture books with gentle humour and in doing so, instilling an awareness of social responsibility in children from an early age. More examples of this can be found in two of Duncan Beedie's other picture books, The Bear who Staredand The Lumberjack's Beard. A wonderful tale of charity and the kindness of strangers with a serious message that highlights the real suffering faced by some. Lighthearted enough to share with little ones but deep enough to effect us all. 10% of profits from the sales of this book will go to The Trussell Trust, an organisation that runs food banks across the UK and works to stop poverty and hunger. Many thanks to Templar Publishing for sending a copy of this book for review. * Acorn Books *
The Last Chip by author and Illustrator Duncan Beedie (Templar Books). Percy is a hungry little pigeon, but no matter how far he flies, the other birds don't want to share their food. Things are looking bleak, until Percy finds kindness where he least expects it. There's an important message in this story and, if you buy a copy, you'll also be supporting The Trussell Trust, the foodbank network offering support to people in crisis across the UK. * Story Time *
The Last Chip The Story of a Very Hungry Pigeon is the story of Percy the pigeon's quest to find food. Percy's story highlights the desperate situation of somebody who is extremely hungry and also introduces children to the concept of homelessness and living on the streets. The Story: Percy is always hungry but his attempts to find food at the train station are thwarted by a large gang of pigeons. He flies further and further away to try and find food but is still unsuccessful. Despite his hunger brave Percy manages to fly back to the city but will he ever find something to eat? Percy really is down and out and, towards the end of the story, he is incredibly weak with hunger. His trips to the station, the park and the beach to find food are thwarted by other equally hungry, very dominant birds and we sympathise with Percy's plight every time they bully him. The introduction of a kind, homeless, also hungry, stranger brings welcome relief and leads to a heartwarming, feelgood final spread. The illustration of sad, hungry Percy on the cover evoked sympathy before we even opened the book and the story of his attempts to find food kept us turning the pages, we were rooting for Percy as we read and were so relieved that his story ends happily. We love the muted colours of Duncan Beedie's gorgeous illustrations and, in contrast to Percy's plight, they add humour to the story. The name of the fish and chip shop made me laugh and my daughter thinks the seagull looks great although she was horrified by the way that he treated poor Percy. The Last Chip would be a great book to use in an Early Years / Key Stage One classroom to stimulate discussions on a variety of themes. It's impressive how Duncan has managed to include the themes of homelessness, hunger, bullying, kindness and friendship all in one story. When you buy The Last Chip you will also be giving a donation to charity as '10% of the profits from the sale of this book go to The Trussell Trust, supporting a network of 425 food banks across the UK.' -- Catherine Friess * Story Snug *
We are great fans of Duncan's books in this household ('The Lumberjack's Beard' was on a bedtime loop for quite some time!) so we were all thrilled to receive a copy of his newest title - 'The Last Chip' so we could be part of its blog tour. I was also delighted that Duncan was willing to give us a sneaky peek into his sketchbook to look at how story and illustrations come together as one. Life on the streets is tough for poor Percy; he can never quite find enough to eat. He gets bullied by the bigger birds at the train station whilst waiting for crumbs from the commuters. He gets mobbed by angry ducks when scrabbling for seeds at the pond. He gets slam-dunked by a giant pirate seagull whilst hunting for fish and chips. Down-hearted and even hungrier, Percy heads back for home in the big city. Will he EVER find something to eat? In a time where food banks are in more demand than ever, 'The Last Chip' is the perfect way to address the problem of hunger with young children. My youngest son and I read it several times in a row (the sure sign of a hit) and found something new to enjoy each time. Beedie has managed to broach an important issue with a lightness of touch and his trademark humorous style. I will warn you though - be prepared for your heart to break a little at the end! His distinctive illustrations have created a character in Percy, who you will really root for and wish you were able to give a sandwich to. Ten percent of the profits from the sale of this book will go to The Trussell Trust, a charity that runs a network across the UK, providing food and emergency support to over 550,000 people in crisis every year. * Library Girl and Book Boy *
Percy is one hungry little pigeon. His tiny tummy rumbles but he can't get any food because every time he spots a scrap, he's chased away by bigger birds. But just when he's about to give up hope, someone special offers him her very last chip. The Last Chip is a poignant picture book. It has all the colour and humour of Duncan's other stories but the message at the end stays with you even longer than the environmentalism of The Lumberjack's Beard and the manners of The Bear Who Stared. We're living in a time when, unfortunately, more people are relying on food banks and charities for food and shelter, and this makes The Last Chip even more relevant and touching ... and a good way to start a conversation about homelessness and hunger with little children. I'm not ashamed to admit I nearly shed a little tear at the end of the book, hoping that Percy, and his newfound friend, would find even more cheer and kindness in the future. * Childtastic Books *
I love Duncan Beedie's previous two picture books, The Bear who Stared and The Lumberjack's Beard, and so I jumped at the chance to review The Last Chip. I wasn't disappointed. It's a beautiful book and its touching ending made me cry. Percy is a very hungry pigeon. His life on the streets is hard; it's very difficult for him to find food. He's either beaten to it by bigger, tougher pigeons; made unwelcome by greedy, territorial ducks; or chased away by a fearsome pirate seagull. Just as his exhaustion and hunger are about to overwhelm him, he is met with kindness and a heartwarming act of selfless generosity. Despite the book's serious themes of hunger and homelessness, there is humour and a lightness of touch in its telling. Duncan's illustrations are a delight. Percy the pigeon is super cute (especially when he's all fluffed up after shaking himself dry from the pond); the warm greens, pinks and purples of Duncan's palette are stunning; and there's lots to amuse you in the pictures: the puns and jokes in the beachfront scene (I loved how Big Bob could barely see over the counter!), the motif 'Plop from Above' on the back of gruff pigeon's biker jacket, and the posh duck sporting a straw boater and a monocle, to name but a few. The story is set in Duncan's hometown of Bristol which, coincidentally, is where I went to university. It was lovely seeing the city's landmarks and its familiar skyline recreated in picture book form. I also love how 10% of the profits from UK book sales of The Last Chip will be donated to the Trussell Trust, an organisation that runs a network of over 425 food banks across the UK. Touching and heartwarming, funny yet poignant - I cannot recommend this book highly enough. * Get Kids Into Books *
Life on the streets is tough. Especially for a pint sized and peckish pigeon like Percy. Throughout this very enjoyable story, we follow Percy in his long struggle to find something, anything to eat. Wherever he goes, Percy can't hold his own and is bullied out of the food on offer. The story builds on the idea of overcoming adversity and never giving up, no matter how weak and defeated you feel. It also shows the reader the importance of never underestimating the kindness of strangers with a heart warming ending. Duncan Beedie is an author and illustrator based in Bristol and it is easy to see that many of his illustrations are inspired by his home surroundings. The train station is reminiscent of Bristol Temple Meads, the coloured buildings within the city can also be seen in Bristol itself and the pier is very similar to Weston Super Mare. Being from the area myself and teaching in a school nearby too, both the children and I had great fun making these links. It also linked in beautifully with our local area topic work and prompted many good discussions about what is in our area. The story flows wonderfully throughout and the way Percy's energy levels begin to fade as the story moves on really help with the development of the story. It would have been easy for Duncan to have Percy fly effortlessly around the city but witnessing his struggle made the story even more compelling. The language choices made by Duncan are great and paint a vivid picture in the reader's head, even without the accompanying illustrations. We enjoyed unpicking some of the verb choices such as 'buffeted' and 'plummeting' and looking for new and exciting adjectives and adverbs. This book has much to offer and is an example of a text with a wonderful range of descriptive vocabulary, I would happily read this over and over again. * Reading Zone *
A beautifully illustrated tale that incorportaes the themes of homlessness, hunger, bullying, kindness and friendship. * Creative Steps *
This book supports The Trussel rust, a foodbank charity. It champions diversity and shows how strangers can be life-saving. Percy pigeon is small and alone, and hungry. Whenever he finds a food opportunity h is bullied and denied any share of food. He tries many sites: the railway station with its rushing commuters, the city rooftops, (st Mary Redcliffe Bristol?) and he even flies to the park, where he knows people throw food into the pond to feed the birds. (Oh, what gloriously happy and fat ducks they are!) Again, Percy is driven from the pond, ducks thrashing him with wings and abuse, Flying to the seaside, at last, he spots a discarded piece of fish. But his excitement is soon crushed by a huge, peg-leg of a giant seagull. He grabs poo Percy and slam-dunks him into a rubbish bin. Weak with hunger, Percy eventually make it home, plummeting from the skies to the street below, landing next to a steet-dweller. She recognizes his acute hunger, and offers Percy her Last chip of the title. The author/illustrator has used the illustrations to add much to this story, using flat tones and mute colours. Visual jokes abound: spot the water-skier coming a cropper, the fisherman knitting his net, Mr Drippy the ice-cream man and van. This is a book to make the reader think. Percy never gave up. He found someone who could save him. Someone who needed saving herself. * Books for Keeps *
