Tag taking responsibility for your actions

Finn’s Little Fibs

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Finn’s Little Fibs
Tom Percival
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Finn is super-excited; he and his little sister, Simone, are spending a few days staying at Grandma’s house: It’s a place full of beautiful but fragile things but his over excitement while playing with his ball indoors results in the accidental breakage of her clock. His efforts at mending it don’t work so, a worried Finn tells a lie, blaming the breakage on his sister.

No sooner is the lie out of his mouth than POP! a little blob appears, noticed only by Finn, although Grandma clearly has doubts about the plausibility of what he’s said.

This makes the boy panic: out comes another lie, followed immediately by another blob. The lying escalates and by the end of the weekend Finn is besieged by blobs and he’s feeling so upset with what he’s done that he can’t enjoy himself. It’s time for big brother to admit the truth but has he got the courage?

Happily yes, the blobs disappear and his understanding Grandma accepts his apology.
With everything back as it should be, the rest of the holiday is great and Finn resolves to always try and tell the truth.

As always, in his latest story in the Big Bright Feelings series, Tom describes the physical sensations and feelings that beset the guilty Finn in a way young children can relate to, and his illustrations with the waxing and waning of the blobs do a wonderful job in showing his changing emotions. A great starting point for discussions on the importance of being honest, taking responsibility for your wrong doing and forgiveness.
A must to add to foundation stage class collections and family bookshelves if you have a young child.

Kevin

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Kevin
Rob Biddulph
Harper Collins

Sid Gibbons and trouble seem to go hand in hand: first it’s smashing the birdbath with his ball; then forgetting to put the tops back on his pens; his bedroom resembles a ‘pigsty’ and now his dinner is all over the floor. Needless to say, his mum is less than happy. But, none of this is Sid’s fault: no it’s Kevin’s.
And who is Kevin you might be thinking; he’s Sid’s friend. The pink spotted, vanilla furred pal with a single tooth and a tendency for clumsiness who comes through a hatch in his bedroom ceiling when Sid feels lonely, so he tells his mum, who naturally is having none of this ‘make-believe friend.’
Make-believe? Through that ceiling hatch there shines a light – a light of vanilla and pink striped rays: up the stairs goes Sid to be confronted by a truly amazing sight – a magical world filled with strange beasties…

Now though, the boot is on the other foot, so to speak: Sid is the invisible being here and this gives him an idea. Uh-oh!

As a result however, it also gives him an opportunity to question his actions: is it fair to blame your misdemeanours on a friend, albeit an imaginary one?
Time to make reparation – first to Kevin and then to his very own Mum …

All this and more is delivered through Rob Biddulph’s faultless rhyming narrative – a longish one – and his equally superb visuals. For the latter he moves from the monochromes of Sid’s reality to the glorious rainbow hues of Kevin’s kingdom. Fans of the author’s previous works will delight in guest appearances from Fred, the bear from Grrrrr!; Blown Away’s Blue and the occasional Odd Dog dachshund.

And, those beastie inhabitants of Kevin’s world, be they hairy, slimy, leggy or frilly, are splendid. As for Sid, he’s a totally believable character, full of mischief and absolutely adorable – I’m pretty sure I’ve taught him somewhere along the line; many times over in fact.
All this while exploring ideas about imaginary friends and the notion of facing up to the consequences of our own actions, which is so subtly embedded into the tale – genius!