Ria Markides Markides itibaren Parewadi, Maharashtra 413505, India
Although officially billed as a children's book, the issue of racial prejudice and discrimination that is central to this novel is a rather adult one, so much so that I would advise against putting this in front of children of primary-school age. It is, however, an eminently suitable theme for an adult reader. Nor is the delivery of the story such that an adult would find this book boring or a waste of time, Gibbons presents very solid characters with complex backgrounds who could easily be representative of real Brits in a setting that could easily pass for any Northern town with a mixed-race community. The plot too is presented and paced in a very readable way, with Gibbons taking the time to explain things for his younger readers, but not going into such belabouring detail that an older reader would switch off. With this book Gibbons is clearly trying to promote an agenda of tolerance, but unlike many books that seek to deliver a particular message, he does not do so by trying to ram his point of view down your throat. Instead he does it by pulling you in, making you care about the characters of his excellent story and then demonstrating how not following the ideology he is trying promote makes a huge negative impact on their lives. It makes for an excellent and sobering read, one that will hopefully speak powerfully to anyone who picks it up.