‘Poles Apart’: A funny book to share with the kids!

Poles Apart by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Jarvis(Nosy Crow, 2015)Good to Read for:sharing a giggleencouraging curiositynurturing global citizensToday’s Story Worth Sharing is Poles Apart by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Jarvis (Nosy Crow, 2015). Its opening line leaves me feeling a bit foolish… 

As everyone knows, penguins are found at the South Pole and never at the North Pole.

 

One of the first picture books I ever illustrated (number three, to be precise) was Peter & Pickle’s Puzzling Presents, written by Jane Chapman (Magi Publications, 1995). It features a co-habiting penguin and a polar bear. It never dawned on me that they lived on separate continents (even though the text says Peter the polar was visiting from the North Pole)! Haha! 

   

(There was a similar faux pas in I Don’t Want to Go To Bed! by Julie Sykes (Magi Publications, 1994), which happily mixes up animals from Africa and Asia. Surprisingly, nobody’s ever complained!)

But I digress.

Poles Apart is silly, lighthearted fun! (I mean that respectfully: the writing and illustrations are top-notch!) And I think it’s what families – or at least, you grown-ups –could do with right now. A little escape from the heartbreaking 24-hour news cycle.

It features a penguin family (the superbly named Pilchard-Browns) who are adrift on an iceberg, having become ‘lost on their way to a picnic.’

 

Mr Pilchard-Brown was in charge of the map.

He told everyone to turn right at the snowman.

Which was wrong.

 

Brilliant!

Willis is well known for her dry wit, and there’s plenty of it in Poles Apart. Little quips and asides are a treat for parents and older kids, while younger siblings can enjoy the tale on a more superficial level. The jokes extend to the illustrations too – for example, the bespectacled Mr P-B is holding the map upside down… Uh-oh!

The unfortunate family (comprising Mr and Mrs Pilchard-Brown and their offspring: Peeky, Poots and Pog) sail across the ocean before finally ‘drifting towards an enormous, furry, white … something’ wearing a miniscule, red bowler hat.

 

“Is it a lion? Is it a tiger?” asked Peeky and Poots.

“Is it a picnic blanket?” asked Pog.

 

(Much of the humour is thanks to the penguin children’s outlandish (yet believable) dialogue!)

 

The enormous something looked them up and down….

“I’m Mr White,” he said.

“I’m a polar bear, and you are?”

“Parrots!” said Peeky and Poots.

“Pork pies!” said Pog.

“We’re penguins,” said Mrs Pilchard-Brown.

   

I told you it was silly! (I can just imagine the long-suffering Mrs P-B – stuck on that iceberg with the family – rolling her eyes as she adds, “We’re penguins.”)  

For me, one of the reasons Poles Apart stands out is thanks to the dialogue which feels natural and genuine. Willis skillfully captures the haphazard – often overlapping – nature of family chat which lends warmth to the scenes.

Kids especially will love the littlest penguin, Pog! Throughout the story, he asks, “Can we have our picnic?” Another time he announces, “I need a wee.” Finally, eagle-eyed readers will discover that the mischievous Pog is responsible for the surprise ending(s).

In the meantime, he informs the genial Mr White that they’re going on a picnic at the South Pole.

 

“This is the North Pole, my friends,” said Mr White. 

“The South Pole is 12,430 miles that way.”

“So, I was a few miles out,” shrugged Mr Pilchard-Brown.

“Anyone can make a mistake.”

 

Mr White is just the kind of supportive friend one needs at a time like this:

 

“Don’t think of it as a mistake,” said Mr White.

“Think of it as a big adventure. I have often dreamt of being the first polar bear to reach the South Pole…”

“Mummy says we should always follow our dreams,” said Peeky.

“Daddy says we should always follow him,” said Poots.

“Lead the way, Mr White,” said Mrs Pilchard-Brown.

   

And so begins the next stage of the Pilchard-Browns’ adventure. Adrift once more, they follow Mr White ‘over land and sea.’ Perhaps the polar bear doesn’t really know the way to the South Pole? He certainly takes them a long way round! But he’s a safer bet than Mr P-B (who is still reading the map upside down!)!

   

Readers are giving a little geography lesson as the Pilchard-Browns pass through America, England, Italy, India, and Australia. True, they won’t learn very much. But as with How the Sun Got to Coco’s House, it’s a fun way to expand your child’s concept of the wider world and spark curiosity about other cultures. Willis includes a sprinkling of words and phrases that link to each particular country (for example, with the greetings, “Howdy!”, “How do you do?” and “Ciao!”. At the same time, illustrator Jarvis adds visual details to set the scene and add humour. (I especially like England’s spread that shows the gang riding an open-top double-decker bus through London. In the rain!)

   

[O]ver the land and over the sea. 

On and on they went.

But of all the wonderful places in the world, there was no place like home.

“Are we nearly there yet?” said Peeky, Poots and Pog.

 

The penguins dutifully follow Mr White until finally, they reach the South Pole. After a brief stay, Mr White says goodbye and walks ‘12,430 miles all the way back to…the North Pole, where he [belongs].’

 

[Mr White had] followed his wildest dream and had the best adventure. Even so, he was sad to think he would never see a penguin again.

 

And then the surprise ending. 

A penguin chick suddenly hatches from an egg inside Mr White’s hat!

   

True – it’s a sudden development in the plotline! But it’s a cute moment that will surprise kids. And like me, they’ll want to go back a few pages to find out how the egg ended up in Mr Brown’s hat…

But wait! There’s one final surprise!

Mr White’s penguin friends, the Pilchard-Browns, arrive to collect the latest addition to the family. This time they arrive by air – in a basket carried by balloons.

 

And although the North Pole isn’t home to penguins, Mr White was always happy to see friends.

‘Welcome back!” he said.

 Yes, Poles Apart is silly and slightly bonkers! This is precisely why kids enjoy it: It’s a lot of fun!

And with everything going on in the world right now, perhaps a snuggle and a giggle with your child is just what you need. 

But in case you need them, here are some worthy reasons to share it:

It celebrates family and friends.

It models kindness to strangers.

It shows how we are all part of a much larger, global community.

It’s philosophical. (“Don’t think of it as a mistake,” said Mr White. “Think of it as a big adventure.)

It’s inspiring! (“Mummy says we should always follow our dreams,” said Peeky.)

If nothing else, Poles Apart will teach your child that penguins are found at the South Pole. And never at the North Pole. A simple fact that everyone should know!

 STORIES WORTH SHARINGPoles Apart by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Jarvis(Nosy Crow, 2015)Good to Read for:giving kids a giggleencouraging curiositynurturing global citizensPoles Apart by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Jarvis (Nosy Crow, 2015) Text © 2015 by Jeanne Willis | Illustrations © 2015 by JarvisGOOD TO READFunny picture books to make kids laugh

You Must Bring a Hat by Simon Philip and Kate Hindley

There Is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Rabbit and Bear: Rabbit’s Bad Habits: Book 1 by Julian Gough and Jim Field

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 “A funny and charming tale”–  The Huffington Post

“Brilliant and original comic creations” – LoveReading4Kids

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SOURCES

Poles Apart by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Jarvis (Nosy Crow, 2015)Peter & Pickle’s Puzzling Presents by Jane Chapman, illustrated by Tim Warnes (Magi Publications, 1995) Poles Apart (Kirkus Reviews, 15 August 2016) Poles Apart (Publishersweekly.com) The Best Children’s Picture Books Autumn 2015 (The Huffington Post, Hannah Beckerman, 7 October 2016) Poles Apart (Penguin Random House)
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