Now, Kate Milner has written another powerful picture book about different humanitarian crisis - poverty. The story begins when a young unnamed girl wakes up hungry one morning and all there is for her to eat is a piece of toast, leaving nothing for her mother to have. It is, she explains, a no-money day for her and her mom, which also means it is a no-food-in-the-house day. A third of UK children live in poverty. This statistic, plus her own experience of not having enough to get by, pushed Kate Milner into writing a book for children about food banks, money worries and everyday joys. Despite mum’s best efforts, the money has run out and the cupboards are bare. Today is a no-money day. Yet that is no reason to be sad as this family prove. The daughter takes delight in all of her experiences and mum does her best to mask the true pain of the situation.

The lesson sets provide a structured plan and clear guidelines for pupils to engage with an authentic piece of children’s literature, a picturebook, in which both the words and the pictures create meaning. Individual differences in primary and lower secondary pupils are especially marked, but picturebooks can be interpreted on many levels and thus satisfy pupils of different ages and at different points in their English language learning. The lessons provide activities which teachers can select according to the age, language level and interests of the pupils in their classes and provide pupils with stimulating activities to develop their critical thinking as well as their English language skills. Participation That’s what this election is really about: not Brexit, not Boris v Jezza, but how we define a civilised society. The winners of the Diverse Book Awards 2023 have been announced, with one winner from each of the four categories announced: Picture book, Children... Despite all of the struggles that they face the family remain positive… “Maybe one day.” A book that all children should read and have the opportunity to discuss. I have done all sorts of things in my working life. I have painted pub signs and made prints; been a teacher and a carer. I have always made images and thought up stories, but it was a job at the local library that changed everything for me: I fell in love with children’s books. Part of my job was to read to groups of pre-school children at Rhyme Time, which was an excellent way of discovering which books kept their attention, indeed which books kept my attention. I also helped with Chatterbooks and the Summer Reading Challenge, both of which involved talking to children about books. It was an education. We wondered why picture books contain lots of farm yard animals but no mobile phones, yet most children know all about mobile phones and have never met a lamb. We discussed whether Moody Margaret would beat My Naughty Little Sister in a fight, and we decided she definitely would. Despite my great age, I am, in many ways, about eight years old, and I still love to draw and make up stories. Becoming part of the world of children’s book feels like coming home.”Shortlisted for CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2021 | Shortlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2021 | October 2019 Book of the Month Mum works really hard, but today there is no money left and no food in the cupboards. Forced to visit the local foodbank, Mum feels ashamed that they have to rely on the kindness of others. Maybe one day things will be different but for now together they brighten up even the darkest of days. It's difficult to tell you how important this gentle, soft book is and so I hope you will forgive me if I jump straight to the punchline: It's A No-Money Day by Kate Milner should be on your shelves. And if you run a library or you are in a school or if you are anywhere that has shelves that are accessed publically, this book should be there twice over. We live in complex times that are often brutal for those living in precarious circumstances, and one of the duties of any librarian or educator is to work to understand and support those in such a situation. To allow their stories to be heard, supported and understood. To allow the children living within such situations to be heard, to be seen. And having books like this on the shelf is important. It just needs to be there. It should be there. Kate Milner studied Illustration at Central St Martin's before completing the MA in Children's Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin University. Her work has been published in magazines and her illustrations and prints have been shown in London galleries and national touring exhibitions. Kate won the V&A Student Illustration Award in 2016.

engage with social issues as presented through picturebooks to broaden their outlook of marginalised groups in society Whilst the situation that the family find themselves in is upsetting there is plenty of warmth and love in this book. The innocence of the girl when she gets to eat the last slice of bread for breakfast because, “Mum isn’t hungry,” the happiness that it brings both the mum and the girl is particularly touching. The visiting the charity shops to try on clothes and the sheer enjoyment of all the fun things that you can do at home with a little bit of creativity and imagination. And there is always the hope of things improving and even the thought of getting a kitten. There are opportunities to explore vocabulary, key reading skills and also apply reading into writing as part of the weeks planning. Should the book grab you and your class, there are also 4 suggested writing opportunities including leaflets, poetry and a short story!Four or five years ago, I was in the supermarket when I noticed a young mother carrying her toddler on her shoulder while she collected her shopping. It was really the toddler I noticed, smiling and sleepy. Like many older women, I am enchanted by young children. I am at the same time deeply nostalgic for the time in my life when I had young children, but also deeply grateful that they are now grown and I no long have to work that hard. In addition, the lessons are embedded in a children’s rights perspective (Ellis, 2019; 2021) and comprises three categories: protection, provision and participation. This threefold categorisation is referred to as the ‘3Ps’ which we have applied to our picturebook-based English Language Teaching (ELT) lessons to create a pedagogical framework (see below). This framework enables teachers to create a relationship of shared control with their pupils and allows pupils to exercise their agency and participate fully in their own learning. They link to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (#1, #2) and The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (#9, #19, #24, #26, #27, #40).

This lesson is suitable for use with primary learners with a pre-intermediate level of English and beyond. Part B provides lesson information about age/level suitability, lesson objectives, cross-curricular links and links to children’s rights and world-event days.

Follow us

This story shines with positivity and with dignity and articulates an experience which many children have, but which is rarely portrayed in books. This reality must be reflected as a normal part of life, particularly in a book aimed at younger children. Most primary classes contain children who sometimes rely on food banks to eat. Through this story, a way is cleared for children and adults to speak about this kind of experience without shame. That’s a rather grandiose way of saying that I hope my book suggests to children that we should be kind and show respect.

Food banks are a generous and decent response to increasing poverty and it is this kind of action that provides us with the best defense against a dark future. We need a web of empathy to protect the most vulnerable in our communities. Small acts of kindness, like putting something in the food bank bin at the supermarket, giving to charity shops or fighting to preserve libraries, help sustain all of us. The distinctive illustrations in muted tones are full of interesting detail, providing further talking points and beautifully enhancing the sparse text. An outstanding book by an award-winning author/illustrator, which successfully presents this thought-provoking topic to a young audience and is full of hope for a brighter future. The lessons are structured around four parts which facilitate pupils’ agency and active participation. The activities offer opportunities for decision-making and respect pupils’ right to an opinion. In return, listening to pupils’ views, offers teachers the opportunity to discover pupils’ feelings and lived experiences.

'We need a web of empathy'

On winning the Klaus Flugge Prize 2018, Kate Milner said:“I felt absolutely amazed and delighted when I heard that I’d won. I was very, very pleased to be shortlisted but I explained to everyone at the time that there was absolutely no chance of me winning. I was quite clear about this. When I got the good news I was alone in the house apart from my son who was still asleep. I was beside myself with delight; he didn’t get to stay asleep long. What if this number increased? Even if it didn’t, a third is far too much. No children should have to be visiting food banks with their families. There are so many subtle clues as to the situation that the family find themselves in. The wallpaper is peeling off the walls, the careful counting of the pounds, the kitchen is bare, the cupboards are empty, the clothes hanging above the bed, the sharing a bed together - there are endless opportunities for discussion around these images. It is a read that will educate children about those that are less fortunate than themselves and should develop empathy and understanding. Part C comprises 5 key-steps and pupils are invited to participate by responding to questions with their own personal interpretations and opinions.