Crumbs

Crumbs by Phil Cummings and Shane Devries (Scholastic Australia) ISBN 9781761721168   RRP $16.99 (PB)

Reviewed by Jude Mullen

One cold, wintry day, Ella sits at a table waiting for her father to buy her lunch. She sees a one-legged bird begging for crumbs. People shoo it away. Then Ella sees a man “with his life in a bag on his back” asking people for help. People turn their backs on him, and although he has nothing but crumbs, the man shares them with the bird. His kindness to the bird is repaid when Ella’s dad invites him to share lunch with them.

Crumbs is a gently told story with powerful messages. On one level it is about kindness and sharing. On a deeper level it explores homelessness and social justice. It provokes thoughts about what makes people behave differently towards others. Why did Ella’s dad choose to help the man in need while others ignored or shunned him?

The parallels that Cummings draws between the bird looking for crumbs and the man asking for help is a clever use of allegory. It opens the door for adults to make the connections for children and to have conversations about the themes in the story.

The illustrations, by Shane Devries, are both as subtle and as powerful as the text. I could see and feel the coldness at the beginning of the story, and the warmth emanating at the end. Every character is illustrated in a way that fully reveals their attitudes and feelings.

This book is primarily aimed at 4–8-year-olds, however, I see it as a rich text that makes available opportunities for more in-depth, guided analysis with older children. It certainly deserves its place on the Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Books list. It is a book that will touch readers of all ages.