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Fergal Meets Fern ISBN: 9781783449514
Starling, Robert
Published by Andersen Press Ltd, 2021
Fergal, the dinosaur, is a 'happy little chap' until Mum and Dad bring home an egg. This egg doesn't do anything for awhile except sit in a nest, but then it starts to crack, and out comes Fergal's little sister, Fern. Life changes. People come to coo over the baby and bring presents, and Fergal is only happy when his Nan dinosaur gives him tickets to go to a flying show. However, things continue to go wrong. Mum and Dad are so wrapped up in the baby that Fergal doesn't get much attention. She plays with his toys too, and soon he is 'feeling fiery' all the time. He knows he shouldn't be feeling this way, so he hides the feeling inside. The worst thing happens when Fern becomes ill, and Dad has to get medicine for her and therefore can't take Fergal to the flying show. This is the last straw, and Fergal runs away. Dad finds him in tears, and together they talk about his feelings and that there are no bad ones - bottling them up is the bad thing. And so they talk. Fergal explains that he is jealous because 'Fern gets everyone's love' that 'everything is different now', 'everyone looks at Fern'. They look together at Fergal's baby book that shows how everyone had looked after and loved him when he was small. Dad is an excellent explainer, and Fergal decides to take on some responsibility for Fern's happiness and well-being, which he does; he learns to love her. Starling's pictures are brilliant, and end pages full of large and small different coloured eggs at the beginning, and the same with different animals popping out at the end are a super treat.
Age: 3+