Little, Brown Books for Younger Readers ISBN 9780349131924 £5.99
Polly and the Puffin is Jenny Colgan’s first children’s book, published alongside Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery which first introduced adult readers to the main characters of Polly and Neil the Puffin. Polly is our young protagonist and her father is a local fisherman at the seaside town where she lives. This story follows Polly as she tries to keep herself busy whilst waiting anxiously for her father’s safe return on one particularly stormy day at sea. This is a great example of a book which gently introduces young readers to longer writing. There are vibrant and characterful illustrations throughout which follow a colour theme of orange, black and white and which really bring the story to life. The imagery beautifully evokes a blustery and rainy day in a small seaside town, and the relationship between Polly and Neil the Puffin is explored in wonderful detail. It is a lovely example of friendship and loyalty and is depicted very artfully with subtle clues and references which help bridge any gaps left in the absence of a voice for Neil! The relationship between mother and child is thoughtfully depicted as her mother’s worry is clear but she attempts to keep the day as normal as possible. Absence, loss, friendship and the relationship between owner and pet can all be explored. What I particularly loved about the book is the selection of themed activities at the back, and the ‘lighthouse factsheet’ which seamlessly links fiction with fact. There are lots of ideas for follow-on activities for adult and child at home or at school, with ideas for art, design, English and Maths.
Laura Davies, Project Development Coordinator for Fair Foundations, Chwarae Teg
