Books / Childrens
New children’s book is raising money for homeless charity
A new picture book for young children by Bristol writer Duncan Beedie is raising money for, and drawing attention to the plight of the homeless and those experiencing food poverty.
The Last Chip (Templar Books) is set in Bristol and follows Percy the pigeon’s increasingly fraught search for food across the city. Just as he is about to give in and succumb to another hungry night a new friendship saves the day.
10% of the profits from The Last Chip will be donated to food bank charity The Trussell Trust. Duncan is also selling original giclée prints of the book’s artwork, with all of the net profits going to the homeless charity Caring in Bristol.
is needed now More than ever
Duncan says: “Initially the book was simply about a pigeon’s quest to find some food. However, it wasn’t until an impromptu conversation with my daughter that the story took on a new twist. We were walking down our local high street when she tugged on my sleeve and enquired “Daddy! Why is that man’s bedroom outside?” I shrugged this off as a misconstrued observation, until I realised she was talking about someone who was sleeping rough in a shop doorway. I attempted to explain the situation as unpatronisingly as I could, but it soon dawned on me that if my daughter can sincerely enquire about homelessness, then an adult (who happens to write children’s books) shouldn’t shy away from the matter. A homeless character was introduced and Percy’s endless struggle to find food became an allegory that felt like a natural development in the story.”
He admits that balancing the grim nature of the book’s message while making it entertaining for young readers was a challenge.
“Including the serious issue of homelessness in a children’s book does give rise to unique challenges. The most important thing was to strike the right tone with the story and its illustrations. I still wanted the book to be bright and entertaining for children, but not to underplay the message at its core. That’s where the expert guidance of my editor and designer really came into play. There were a number of redrafts (particularly involving the end of the book), but I like to think we got there in the end.”
The Last Chip is out now www.waterstones.com/book/the-last-chip/duncan-beedie/duncan-beedie/9781783700622
Original prints of the book’s artwork are available here www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DuncanBeedieArt with all net profits going to homeless charity Caring in Bristol
Read more: Tackling Bristol’s Homelessness Crisis www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/tackling-bristols-homelessness-crisis/
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
