SuitabookThe Gulps
Rosemary Wells
- Reading
- If you read it, pause when the family is described or judged. Name the difference between choosing nourishing activities and judging bodies, then invite the child to identify kinder, less stereotyped ways to discuss health.
- Themes
- Health habits and body size: The Gulp family eat large quantities of takeaway food, avoid vegetables and watch television; the plot moves towards vegetables and exercise after their van stops. The book takes a critical view of this.
- Humour and family change: An anthropomorphic rabbit family travels towards Dizzyworld, but a van breakdown leads them to a farm and to changes in their routines. The animal characters, comic names and illustrations are described as humorous, while the family’s treatment is also criticised as cruel or stereotyped.
- Worth knowing
- Read alongside a body-neutral conversation: food and movement can support wellbeing, while body size does not determine someone’s worth, habits or health. Avoid presenting Dawn as morally better because she prefers vegetables.