By Emma Bettridge (author) , Josephine Birch (illustrator)
"A dog’s eye view of moving house"
Paperback In Stock £8.99 £8.09
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October 2023 Book of the Month
Red, a large, bouncy, excitable young dog, has a very happy home life with loving owners (two sets in fact). But a house move is coming up and sometimes, thinking about it, makes him spin and his thoughts get tangled up. Exploring his new home though, he discovers a den, green moss and branches overhead. Red is happy!
The story is full of reassurance for children facing change and Red is an irrepressible presence, as he leaps from scene to scene. A page of busy squiggles represent his confused, anxious thoughts, before they give way to the calming greens and blues of his den, and it’s a story to provoke thoughts of important conversations.
Red the dog lives in two different places with members of his family. There are things he does to feel safe in each home, but on Monday one of those homes will change.
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How will he cope when things are no longer the same?
In this rhyming text we are introduced to Red. Red lives in two homes and has special things he does in each to make him feel happy. But Monday is moving day, and Red is nervous. What if the new house isn’t like the old one? What if he can’t do the same things? However, Red discovers that whilst he may not be able to do what he used to at the old house, it’s not the place that makes his home but the people he shares it with.
Red is Home helps parents and children discuss what ‘home’ means to them, whilst also presenting an unconventional family structure and the opportunity for children from blended families to see their experiences and emotions explored in a picture book.
In addition, its inclusion of characters from different races and ethnicities and from the LGBTQ+ community represents the diversity of the UK and the range of family structures that exist.
Emma Bettridge talks about the inspiration of this book, saying, ‘My ex-girlfriend’s son Joseph has had a huge impact on my life, I’ve known him from a very young age and was fortunate to have lots of excellent adventures with him. He was five when I got my dog Red, and both Red and Joe are very energetic and bouncy beasts and so the bond struck up between Joseph and Red inspired Red is Home.’
Josephine Birch talks about her illustrations, saying, ‘To illustrate the book, and get a feeling for who Red was and why he felt the way he did, I drew on my own childhood experience of a single-parent home, step-parents that came and went, and on my experience now as a step-parent. Red is a really joyful character, but his energy spills over sometimes when he becomes anxious.
As a kid, I was diagnosed with ADHD, so I tried to channel that energy into Red. He needs to bounce and let off steam physically, but he needs safety, routine and comfort to settle, just as most of us do. I love the character of Red; he’s well rounded and real.’
Emma Bettridge is a theatre producer, director, festival curator, and a children’s picture book writer. She is currently working with the likes of Pins and Needles, Vic Llewellyn, Bea Roberts, Laila Diallo, Katy Owen, Jen Bell and Elisabeth Westcott and is an associate lecturer at Bath Spa University, on the M.A. Creative Producing course.
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The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Red is Home and determined it is suitable for children aged 5-8 years old
Red is Home features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 7+ readers, Pets, The Natural World, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Animal Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Stories about Family and Friends, Featured Books for 5+ readers
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Red is Home was written by Emma Bettridge and published by Graffeg Ltd
Red is Home has 38 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
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