I Will Not Wear Pink - by Joyce Dunbar

I Will Not Wear Pink by Joyce Dunbar

ABOUT THE BOOK

Author: Joyce Dunbar

Illustrator: Polly Dunbar

Published by: Otter-Barry Books

Released: May 2016

Ages: 3 – 7

RaisingMom.ca Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

From the Publisher:

“When Plunkett the pig gets an invitation from Priscilla Pig he is excited, until he sees the dress code: WEAR PINK. Plunkett sets out for the party adorned in the pink outfit Priscilla has sent him, but very soon flings away the prescribed party gear in favor of his own favorite colour – his own skin, which also happens to be pink! A glorious romp in celebration of personal freedom and choice.”

My Experience:

This book contains many British idioms as part of the text. Many children outside of the UK will have trouble understanding much of the idioms used as part of the text. Examples of this are “plonker”, “toff”, “corker”, “tipple”, and “clobber” (referring to clothes).

The illustrations are engaging and eye-catching. Though the main colour, of course, is pink, there is enough variety to make it interesting.

The flow of the text seems a bit stilted at times. It could be the difference in pronunciation of some of the words (British vs. North American cadence and syllable emphasis). It was a minor problem, but noticeable none-the-less. I found myself testing some of the phrases with a British accent in my head as I was reading aloud to check their flow. Ha!

My almost 3 yo was engaged as I read it to her, though she asked a lot about some of the words she did not understand. It was a great opportunity to introduce the concept of local idiom and talk about other countries. She tracked along with the story, but did not fall in love with it, and did not ask for it to be immediately read again (a sign of a favourite!). The message of the book (personal freedom, choice, and self-esteem) was not immediately apparent to her, but with some coaching, she seemed to understand. It is best suited for kids 3+.

Why/How Use it with kids:

discussion of things that the child likes best about themselves or what makes them feel special (appearance, character traits)
introduction of self-concept and self-esteem and why it is important to be true to yourself
exploration of a favourite colour
- design an invitation to a celebration that features the special colour
- design an outfit using that colour for party guests to wear

About the Author/Illustrator:

Joyce Dunbar grew up in an industrial town in Lincolnshire and currently lives in Norwich, in Norfolk, UK. She began to go deaf at the age of five. After school, she got a degree and trained to be a teacher. She was told she was too deaf to teach the deaf, so she taught Shakespeare to the hearing for 20 years instead. Joyce has written more than eighty books, which have been translated into 20 languages. Some of her favourite things are animals, gardening, art, theatre, cinema, reading, walking, cycling, and gazing out of the window.

Polly Dunbar (the author’s daughter) was born in the Cotswolds and grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon. She completed a foundation course at Norwich School of Art and then went on to do a degree in illustration at Brighton University. She is co-founder of Long Nose Puppets, an award winning theatre company. Polly lives in Brighton with her partner and their little boy.

I Will Not Wear Pink – by Joyce Dunbar