Mum and Dad Glue

Product Information

Beautifully rhyming story that flows and in with really lovely language tackles the issue of parent separation.

However by removing the crack later in the story but still having the same whole page illustrations provides a key visual message that in time the situation does heal. This book addresses many feelings and questions children may have related to such controversial themes. By creating this sense of emotion the book is ideal to create and sustain a dialogue with the child and also provides the child with the feelings that this is okay, and it is okay to question the events that are happening around them.Mum and Dad Glue is very much a message book, and is aimed squarely at young children in the exact same situation as the unnamed hero.

Every Second Friday by Kiri Lightfoot and Ben Galbraith is another message book about divorce, this time dealing with children getting used to having two different homes. Divorce can be one of the trickiest topics for children to understand and communicate their thoughts/feelings. We Are Wearing Out The Naughty Step by Mick Inkpen gently touches on issues further down the line, when potential step-families are cropping up. His method for this isn't the usual response though: he looks for glue to stick his mum and dad together. It is really heartwarming at the end, to see him realise that he still means the world to his parents and that he will always be loved by them; despite them no longer being together.Der kleine Junge in diesem Buch hat ein großes Problem: Seine Eltern sind nicht mehr heile, sie wollen sich trennen und daher braucht er dringend Elternkleber aus dem Bastelladen. For my future classroom, I hope to get a copy of this book for children to read if they are ever in the same situation as the main character of this story so that they are able to understand what is happening more. This book would be a good one to use if a child in your class was experiencing family issues in relation to their parents splitting up as it explains how to view the situation more positively instead of feeing down about it. The cracks on the page that follow the boy throughout the book reinforce the fact he feels his whole world is now broken and then when he realises everything might just be okay, those cracks disappear.

The illustrations were very detailed and used warm toned colours which was quite effective in making me feel comforted whilst reading it. Divorce is an unhappy fact that affects many children's lives; parents who are divorcing will value this story that can be read to their children, its message one of comfort to help soothe and make them aware that their parents' separation is in no way their fault. This rhyming story is brilliantly told with a powerful message that even though his parents may be broken, their love for him is not. His parents have come undone and he wants to mend their marriage, stick their smiles back on and make them better. In spite of his initial apprehension, Gray said that he wanted to provide a view of divorce (from a child's perspective), that was not only just, but one that lent itself to honesty and integrity.

Summary: A sensitive and helpful message book about a young child trying to come to terms with his parents' divorce. This is the kind of book that should have a place in every class, as a teacher will not always know when a child is needing the kind of emotional reassurance it gives. I also /loved/ the artistic concept that all the things around the child on each page were broken too.

Mum and Dad Glue by Kes Gray, illustrated by the winner of the Red House Children's Book Award 2013. This story is told in such a kind and soft way that this may allow children to feel comfortable to talk about the subject.Though it may be useful for directing children's thoughts towards the idea that lots of parents separate and that they can be just as happy with separated parents, I would worry that the book may make a child think that their feelings are wrong or that they have to feel a certain way. Mum and Dad Glue” is an exceptionally well written and beautifully illustrated picture book by the absolutely fantastic Kes Gray.