There were around 4 million children living in poverty in the UK in 2020-21
That’s 27 per cent of children, or eight in a classroom of 30
That is 4 million children who don’t get enough food to eat
Who are cold and tired
Who don’t have the equipment they need at school
Who don’t have the same chances and opportunities as everyone else
The situation has become worse this year
And is set to worsen further still
With the cost of living crisis
Growing up in poverty impacts all areas of a child’s life
It is heartbreaking that so many families are struggling
That so many children are living in poverty here in the UK
In 2022
It is something that many of us do not appreciate
We do not truly understand what it is like to be poor
And that is why books like The Invisible
Written by Tom Percival are so very important
To offer little readers and their grown ups a window
Into a world that we so often do not see
And certainly do not understand
And also a mirror
For those children who are just like Isabel
And just like Tom was as a child
For those children to feel seen
To see themselves represented in a powerful and poignant story
Offering them recognition, representation and hope
The Invisible is an incredibly emotive story
Shining a light on people who are often overlooked in our society
The poor, the elderly, the homeless, the vulnerable, refugees
This is a call to action
To show us the power of small acts of kindness
To show us that there is strength in communities coming together
To inspire us to be the change our society so desperately needs
So that nobody feels invisible
So that everyone feels welcome and valued
And knows that they belong
We all belong here
Isabel and her family do not have much. They cannot afford new things and their house is always cold because they cannot afford to put the
heating on. Isabel tries not to worry and she knows that her family love her very much and she loves them too. They make the most of what they have and they cherish one another.
But one day there is not enough money to pay the bills and the family have to leave their home and all the memories that it holds.
Isabel is very sad. The new part of the city they have moved to is cold and sad and lonely. Isabel doesn’t feel like she belongs here. She feels as though she is fading away.
Tom Percival’s illustrations show Isabel as she loses herself in this new place and in her own emotions. The combination of words and pictures is incredibly moving.
The more Isabel feels invisible, the more she begins to see the other unseen people of the city …
An old lady planting flowers in empty paint pots, the homeless man feeding the birds in the park, the refugee boy helping to mend someone’s bike. Isabel notices that each of the people that she sees are doing something for someone else, small acts of kindness to make a difference to someone or something else.
Inspired by what she sees Isabel wonders if she might do something to, some small act of kindness.
Soon more people join the chain of acts of kindness, the community slowly but surely comes together, working together to tidy and fix, clear, clean and decorate.
Together they are strong. Together they are seen. Together they belong.
“Soon, Isabel wasn’t just visible – she was vibrant … and so was her new home!”
The story ends with a gorgeous richly coloured spread showing Isabel’s new community bright and bustling. The scene is busy, filled with colour and music and friendship. People of all ages and cultures coming together in a space where they feel happy and safe, a place where they all belong.
Tom Percival and Isabel show us all that we can take action, we can overcome obstacles, we can make a change, we can make a difference.
There is always hope however impossible it may sometimes feel.
Where there is life, there is hope
“There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.”
JRR Tolkien