A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant by Briony May Smith
| A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant by Briony May Smith | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A delightful story which encourages self-reliance and looking after your community. A lovely read. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: September 2022 |
| Publisher: Walker Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1406391312 | |
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Philippa Pheasant was tired of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak Road. She wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a reply. Philippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herself. Her uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obvious. All the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight.
There's a little more to the story: the mayor obviously needs to realise that he should have replied to Philippa's letter and we need to find out what her present is but you can see how Philippa has understood a problem and looked to solve it herself without expecting someone else to do it for her. She also involves all the other animals: this is a service for all of them and they're encouraged to contribute. There's a gorgeous picture of the zebra crossing being painted on the road, which illustrates this perfectly.
Talking of the illustrations - Briony May Smith's work is gorgeous. The flyleaf refers to spectacular bucolic artwork and it describes the pictures perfectly. I found myself studying them and finding something new each time I looked. The font used is clear and will be accessible to the emerging reader: the vocabulary is a little challenging in places but the pictures give plenty of clues to those pesky words.
There is a moral in the story: look after your community and contribute what you can to make it better. There's also a message about crossing the road safely, with the possibility of getting squished dealt with very sensitively but both points are delivered with a very light hand. The reader is not being instructed or educated: there are simply some interesting points to be taken away from a good story. And you never know, that title might get you into a conversation about tongue twisters.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
If this book appeals, we think that you'll also enjoy Tidy by Emily Gravett,
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