NO! by David McPhail
| NO! by David McPhail | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: An elegant look at bullying, whether by the local ne'er do well or the state. Virtually wordless but speaks volumes. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 48 | Date: August 2015 |
| Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1847807137 | |
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A boy - we never learn his name - leaves home with a letter to post. If we look carefully we get a hint about who the letter is going to, but getting to the post box is not going to be easy because the boy lives in a war zone. There are planes dropping bombs, tanks taking out buildings, soldiers carrying bayonets kicking down doors and a policeman with truncheon aloft and vicious dog at his side. The boy walks through it all as though completely unmoved, but when he reaches the postbox there's a bully lounging there and the first thing that he does is to knock the boy's hat off. Our hero has had enough - and we know just what he says...
There are few words in the book, but the pictures speak volumes. What is most moving is that the boy is unmoved by the horror that we see. It's the type that makes the headlines on the evening news, but the boy walks through it as though it was commonplace. For him it most probably is. David McPhail's illustrations are stark and straight to the point. The location looks so normal - a street in any town - but what's happening should never happen and it's the contrast between the two which hits home.
But things alter when the boy stands up to the bully and it's not just the bully who has a change of heart. The police dog licks the face of the old man he was terrorising just a few minutes ago, the soldiers bring presents and chat to the inhabitants of the houses and the planes drop aid rather than bombs. It's a lovely thought, if not entirely convincing but the message is sound: giving in to bullies - at whatever level - does not bring you peace and security. There's a delightful twist when we find out what the boy was writing in his letter.
The book is endorsed by Amnesty International.
NO! is moving and thought-provoking. It will take you just a few minutes to 'read' through it, but the message will - and should - stay in your mind for a lot longer. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
For more thought-provoking children's books have a look at ourTop Ten Children's Books About Weighty Subjects. You might also appreciate Time Travelling Toby and the Battle of Britain by Graham Jones and Neil Parkinson.
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You can read more book reviews or buy NO! by David McPhail at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy NO! by David McPhail at Amazon.com.
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