Pilchard's New Family

Pilchard’s New Family

Leon MacLean & Paul Harris

Pilchard’s New Family

by Leon MacLean and Paul Harris For Lucy and Martha L.M. For Stevee, Adrianna and Olivia P.H. www.leonandpaul.co.uk

Thank you to the staff and children at AFA Fostering for helping us to make this book. www.afafostering.com

Pilchard was a good little penguin, he was very clever and brilliant at jumping in puddles.

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Sadly, the zoo was closing down so all of the animals had to find new homes.

The tigers had gone back to India.

The zebras had got into horse racing.

The big penguins had joined the sea centre...

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…but little Pilchard was all alone and had nowhere to go.

This made him feel sad, cold and hungry.

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Mostly he just needed a hug and someone to take care of him.

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So one day, to cheer himself up, Pilchard went to the park.

Brian, his social worker, had been sent to find him.

He promised to keep an eye on Pilchard and help in whatever way he could.

He helped Pilchard climb up the big slide, he swung the swings and rode the see saw.

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Brian was even better at listening so Pilchard told him all about how sad he’d been.

Later that night, when it got cold and dark, Brian took Pilchard to a foster home for tea and fish cakes.

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Wendy the foster carer was an expert at looking after people (and penguins).

Brian said Pilchard should stay in the foster home with Wendy.

“For as long as you need,” he said.

Wendy’s little girl seemed keen so right away Pilchard felt very cosy.

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He got his own bedroom, some new toys and Wendy even cooked his favourite food for tea.

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As time went by Pilchard started to feel better.

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He felt a little happier each day.

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New children came to live in the foster home so Pilchard made lots of good friends.

Some of them only stayed for a few days and some for ages‌

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...but they all had time for Pilchard, he was a clever little Penguin.

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“I feel sad because I miss my Mum,” cried the new boy.

“Don’t worry,” said Pilchard, “it’s normal, sometimes I feel the same.”

“It’s good to know I’m not alone,” he sniffed, “thanks for listening Pilchard.”

“You should always talk to Wendy too, she’s the expert!” he added.

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Pilchard loved his new friends.

There was always someone to talk to and play with.

They had loads in common.

They all flew kites...

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...played football...

enjoyed ice-cream and‌

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…had a social worker just like Brian.

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Every now and then Brian popped by and took Pilchard to see his family.

He was good like that and he even had time for fun.

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It was all going so well.

Pilchard had even started school.

Then one day some mean children called him nasty names.

He ran home crying.

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Wendy said, “If anyone is unkind at school then you should tell a teacher and talk to me at home.

I’ll tell Brian the social worker and together we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Which, to Pilchard’s relief, it never did.

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Pilchard was very happy living in the foster home.

He felt safe and was well looked after.

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Some nights he still missed his family but Pilchard knew that people still cared about him so he wasn’t so sad.

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If you live with a foster family like Pilchard, it’s important that you are happy.

Tell your foster carer how you like things done and what you like to do for fun.

If you are worried about anything at all then tell your foster carer and social worker.

They will always listen and be able to help you.

Here are some phone numbers of people you can talk to if you need to.

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Childline 0800 1111 www.childline.org.uk NSPCC 0800 800 5000 www.nspcc.org.uk National Youth Advocacy Service 0800 616 101 www.nyas.net Ofsted General Helpline 0300 1231231 Kidscape 0207 730 3300 www.kidscape.org.uk Children’s Rights 0800 528 0731 www.rights4me.org

Pick a Pilchard puppet 1. Colour in the characters however you like.

2. Carefully cut them out and the rectangle shapes.

3. Wrap a rectangle shape around your finger.

4. Stick the end down to make a ring.

5. Stick each character onto a ring.

6. Well done! Now put on a puppet show.

Colouring Page Have a go at colouring in Pilchard and his new family. Maybe Brian could do with a new jumper design!

You can find more Pilchard colouring pages on our friends AFA Fostering’s website www.afafostering.com/pilchard

What´s black and white and goes round and around?

A penguin in a revolving door.

What kind of fish do penguins catch at night?

Starfish.

What do penguins sing on their birthday?

Freeze a jolly good fellow.

Which side of a penguin has the most feathers?

The outside.

What do you call a penguin in the desert?

Lost.

What’s black and white and red all over?

A sunburnt penguin.

Penguins take 2 months to hatch out of their eggs.

Some penguins can hold their breath for 18 minutes.

Why do penguins carry fish in their beaks?

Because they haven’t got any pockets.

What did the penguin policeman shout at the snowman robber?

Freeze!

What game do penguins like to play?

Ice Spy.

Most penguins live in Antarctica. There are 17 different sorts.

What shoes do penguins wear on ice?

Slippers.

Penguins normally have one baby each year.

Small penguins eat krill (a bit like a shrimp) big ones eat fish and jelly fish.

Penguins have more feathers than any other bird. They are small and fit together tightly so they look smooth like fur.

Penguins can swim at about 10 miles per hour, as fast as a person on a bike.

Penguins live for 15 - 20 years

Penguins are black and white so in the water they can’t be seen by things that eat them. From below a penguin’s white belly blends into the bright surface of the sea while from above the black disappears into the darkness of the ocean below.

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Pilchard’s Quiz

1. Who did Pilchard first talk to about his problems? a. The big penguins. b. Brian his social worker. c. A chimp called Bob. 2. Who took Pilchard to see his family? a. His new friends. b. A wizard. c. Brian his social worker.

3. Who did Pilchard talk to about the bullies? a. The man in the moon. b. The other children in the foster home. c. Wendy his foster carer.

4. Why did Pilchard feel happy in his foster home? a. He felt safe and had new friends. b. He got to stay up late and watch TV. c. It was a castle on a hill.

Answers 1b, 2c, 3c, 4a

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Coming soon!

Ruben’s Quest

by Leon MacLean and Paul Harris This is the story of Ruben, a lonely robot who is tired of being teased for looking different.

He finds an amazing new planet and discovers that all of the creatures have some brilliant things in common.

This is the story of Pilchard, a sad little penguin who is separated from his family.

Luckily, Brian the social worker comes to his rescue and finds him a cosy foster home where he settles in nicely. Â Â The book includes: colouring-in, make a finger puppet, a quiz, penguin jokes and facts to enjoy after reading.