The last peach by Gus Gordon

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PenguinViking, 2018. ISBN 9780670078912
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Decision making, Food, insects, Discussion. Two bugs making a decision about eating a peach they see in a tree, will hold the readers' attention to the last funny page as they prevaricate from one suggestion to another, finding fault with each as they proceed.
Two bugs discover the lat peach on a warm summer's day. It hangs above them just out of reach, shimmering in the sunlight. The firstly tell each other just how beautiful this peach is, the last of this year's summer. They debate about what to do, whether to just admire it or eat it. They are about to eat it when a grasshopper stops them telling them they cannot eat the last peach. Again they talk and decide to eat it but another bug comes past and warns them that its looks may belie what is inside.
By this time the readers will be laughing out loud at the indecision, and changing of minds of the little insects by passers by. They look again and think that in eating it they may get a tummy ache which neither wants. They look at sharing the peach with their friends, and one of them writes a poem to the peach.
Each suggestion has a counter suggestion, making it very funny to watch the insects having their debate.
The brightly coloured wonderful illustrations incorporating collage will appeal to the audience as they read of the plight of the two insects and perhaps see parallels to their own moments of indecision.
The last page will bring a gale of laughter as the readers see just how baseless the whole debate was.
Fran Knight

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