Mum and Dad Glue

Product Information

This video link is provided to help an adult assess the book's suitability for a child's situation before purchasing it. However in doing this, Gray only places the reader into the situation of the protagonist, wondering when their inner turmoil will be over.

This book is written as a poem and is a lovely way to help children and make them aware of marriage break-ups between their parents and that there are ways of coping and that it will all be alright. This changes the boy’s attitude towards what is happening to his family and he begins to embrace events more positively.I think this book could be a very useful in the classroom, and read to nursery or reception children because it deals with such a relevant topic that any of them could experience. The characters have a rough charm that really draws you in - there are hints of Quentin Blake's ink drawings, but Wildish's style is very much of its own. 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. Whilst this is effective in delving deeper into the child's thoughts, I could not help but feel that it reduced the impact of the reading, as the book felt too long and drawn out.

Told from the perspective of the boy allows the reader to step into his shoes and experience the emotions he is feeling and empathise with him. I genuinely believe that this book is something that will bring comfort to those that could be going through this. As divorce is such a common yet difficult topic to explore with children, 'Mum and Dad Glue' is a necessary book that is accessible for all ages, full of longing and acceptance. I think this would be a good book to offer children support who’s parents may be/ have split whilst giving other children a sense of empathy. 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.This is an excellent book that follows a child's journey of coming to accept the separation of his parents. The image of the crack is a sharp tool in showcasing how severe children's guilt towards divorce can be and how massive this change is to their lives.

This book is really important to share with children whose parents have or are in the process of splitting as well offering a sense of understanding to others. Summary: A sensitive and helpful message book about a young child trying to come to terms with his parents' divorce. 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.I would say this book is mainly aimed at KS1 and early years children (if read by teacher/adult), however could also be used in lower KS2. The illustration powerfully pairs with the text, as everything from buildings, lamp-posts and lunch boxes are broken in two. The illustrations highlight how, to them, it can feel like their whole world is breaking and changing which gives the adult reader a perspective on how the process can feel very overwhelming for the child/children involved. It shows the boy's discovery that sometimes family dynamics change, and although that can be worrying, his parents' love for him will not change.