There’s no getting around it, Sid Gibbons is a little bit naughty. Just this week he’s smashed a bird bath, thrown his dinner on the floor, trashed his bedroom and left his colouring pens on the floor for so long that they’ve all dried out. His poor mum doesn’t know what to do, because when she asks him about these misdemeanours he just lies and says that his imaginary friend Kevin did it all. Kevin is invisible and no one can see him except Sid, so he’s the perfect fall guy.
Then one day, when Sid has once again been sent to bed for being naughty, a hatch in the ceiling opens and a bright light appears. Sid climbs up to take a peek and finds himself faced with none other Kevin himself – he is real! Sid is super excited to see his (incredibly cute and fluffy!) friend and they have lots of fun playing together. However it soon becomes apparent that in Kevin’s world, it is Sid who is the invisible friend.
Spotting an opportunity to get away with being naughty, Sid goes off the rails. He draws on the walls, bounces on the beds, throws plates around and even turns the hose on the dog. He jumps with joy at the realisation that he can do what he wants because no one can see him.
But then Kevin’s dad appears and everything changes. Kevin is sent to bed for being naughty and as Sid watches his friend cry he suddenly understands the consequences of his actions. Can he make amends or is it already too late?
We love this book, and the simple story is very effective at teaching children why they need to take responsibility for their actions.
It’s quite text heavy for a picture book so is probably best suited to 3+, but the well constructed rhyme and the detailed, colourful illustrations mean that Ivy chooses it again and again.
There’s a whole host of fascinating little creatures in Kevin’s world and if you look carefully you might spot a few characters from some of Rob Biddulph’s other books too!
Buy from Bookshop.org and support independent bookshops: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/155/9780008207427
Buy from Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2F1dUMG