We are great fans of Duncan’s books in this household (‘The Lumberjack’s Beard’ was on a bedtime loop for quite some time!) so we were all thrilled to receive a copy of his newest title – ‘The Last Chip’ so we could be part of its blog tour.  I was also delighted that Duncan was willing to give us a sneaky peek into his sketchbook to look at how story and illustrations come together as one.

Life on the streets is tough for poor Percy; he can never quite find enough to eat.  He gets bullied by the bigger birds at the train station whilst waiting for crumbs from the commuters.  He gets mobbed by angry ducks when scrabbling for seeds at the pond.  He gets slam-dunked by a giant pirate seagull whilst hunting for fish and chips.  Down-hearted and even hungrier, Percy heads back for home in the big city.  Will he EVER find something to eat?

In a time where food banks are in more demand than ever, ‘The Last Chip’ is the perfect way to address the problem of hunger with young children.  My youngest son and I read it several times in a row (the sure sign of a hit) and found something new to enjoy each time.  Beedie has managed to broach an important issue with a lightness of touch and his trademark humorous style.  I will warn you though – be prepared for your heart to break a little at the end! His distinctive illustrations have created a character in Percy, who you will really root for and wish you were able to give a sandwich to.

Ten percent of the profits from the sale of this book will go to The Trussell Trust, a charity that runs a network across the UK, providing food and emergency support to over 550,000 people in crisis every year.

As promised earlier, author and illustrator Duncan Beedie has shared the process of getting a book from the planning stage to the final illustrations.  I wish my drawings were half as good as his sketches!

‘The Last Chip’ Story Board

 

Roughs – those bully-boy pigeons!

 

Black and White City

 

Glorious Full-Colour City!

To see more Duncan’s fabulous illustrations, make sure you get yourself to a book shop and buy yourself a copy!  And if you are able, consider making a donation to your local food bank.

For more special posts and reviews, make sure you visit the other blogs participating on the tour this week.

Library Girl.

*Many thanks to Templar Publishing for sending me a copy of this book to review*