Discover Dennis Duckling: Essential reads for direct work with children
For the second year running, Dennis and the Big Decisionsis our most popular children’s book! Many social workers, foster carers and kinship carers will be familiar with our ‘Dennis Duckling’ series – four charming picture books that are ideal for gently introducing young children to to the idea of moving from one family to another, and what this may mean for them.
In Dennis Duckling, the first in the series, Dennis and his sister have to move from their home pond and stay with another family of ducks – this is always a popular title with foster carers. But Dennis and the Big Decisions, the second in the series, has taken the top spot as our most popular children’s book. We see Dennis’s social workers and carers explain to the young ducklings that “big decisions” need to be made about where/with whom they will live, that the ducklings’ views will be listened to, but that it is the grown-up ducks’ responsibility to make these decisions.
This can be a hard concept for young children to grasp, and we know that children can sometimes feel these decisions are their “fault”or their responsibility. It is an important part of direct work with children to talk about these issues and help children understand what will happen to them, and why, by whom, and how these decisions will be made.
At a recent bookstall, many practitioners immediately picked out Dennis and the Big Decisions, and praised its focus on an issue they can find hard to explain. Dozens of newly qualified social workers mentioned colleagues recommending this book to them. We were overwhelmed with tales of how this book had helped many children to understand their situation and how this may change in the future.
The two following books in the series, Dennis goes Home, and Dennis lives with Grandma and Grandpa(you can probably guess the plots…), explore different scenarios that social workers and carers can read about with young children, depending on their circumstances.
It is notable that a book explaining the concept of “big decisions” to children is so popular – clearly practitioners and carers find this hard to explain to young children, and they appreciate the help a picture book can provide. Like most of our children’s books, Dennis and the Big Decisions includes a short pamphlet, providing simple, practical guidance for adult readers to get the most out of the story with children, with suggested questions for each page to open up the conversation. There is an increasing focus on direct work nowadays, but many busy practitioners, or those new to the profession, may feel anxious about carrying this out sensitively and successfully. Our range of children’s books, with their guidance pamphlets, are perfect for providing help for these discussions.
Jo Francis, Publishing Manager, CoramBAAF.