Pebble and Po
Emma Simpson
Little Tiger

Late one night Pebble falls fast asleep in a soft, comfy place. Little does she know until the next morning that she’s slept on the tummy of a large bear. She names the bear Po and soon after hears a loud rumble emanating from the creature’s tummy. Suspecting that her new friend is hungry, Pebble leads the way through the forest to search for food.

On their way the two meet some new friends – a bird with an injured wing in search of rest and a fox hiding from the stormy weather.

They all take refuge in a dark cave that becomes lit by fireflies until the storm passes and then after a while Pebble realises that they’re lost and asks for help from the others but they then find the confidence to ask for help too. The strong, silent Po is equally as endearing and caring as Pebble but shows empathy and care for others differently.

Emma Simpson captures the personality of each really well in the mixed media scenes for her gentle story and young listeners will delight in spotting the little white mouse that accompanies Pebble and Po on their adventure but is not mentioned in the text (I wonder where the umbrella came from that it holds in the storm.)

This reassuring book is likely to become a much requested favourite with young children at story time and is a great one for opening up discussions about finding the confidence to ask for help, as well as showing kindness and empathy towards others. “Asking for help isn’t easy. But it’s just about the bravest thing you can do.” So says Pebble as the story concludes.