Finn’s Little Fibs
By Tom Percival
Published by Bloomsbury
Picture book £7.99
Reviewed by Nicky Mathewson
Finn and his sister, Simone, are staying at their Grandma’s house for a short holiday and she lives at the seaside so they are really in for a treat!
They ate fish and chips on the beach, they stayed up later than usual and Grandma bought them each a gift.
Finn was given a super bouncy bright yellow ball which he bounced and bounced with little regard for all of Grandma’s fragile things. Unfortunately, Finn broke something and when he couldn’t fix it, he blamed his younger sister Simone. Finn didn’t feel very good about this but he panicked and it blurted out. As the fib slipped out a little red blob appeared, which nobody else could see.
The more Grandma asked about the broken clock, the more Finn fibbed. Once he started he couldn’t stop, and each time he did this, another little blob appeared, until he was surrounded by his own fibs. They got in the way of him having any fun and he started to feel quite sad.
After thinking it through, Finn realised that the only thing he could do to take away his sadness was to tell the truth, and once he did, the fibs vanished, he felt much lighter and all of the worry was gone. He could get back to enjoying his holiday with Grandma and Simone.
This beautiful story gently reminds us that we should always try to tell the truth, as fibbing is certainly no easier than admitting our mistakes.
Tom Percival is the author and illustrator of 8 picture books in this “Big Bright Feelings” series and they are all so wonderful, un-patronising , bright, colourful, easy to engage with and a delight to read aloud. Perfect for sharing with 3 -6 year olds to help explore their feelings.
