A very wise and observant small boy tells us that he can see things that grown-ups are often too busy to see. The little boy sees Pete, with his dog, sitting on a piece of cardboard and with a container for coins. Pete has a piece of yellow chalk and he draws a beautiful bird on the footpath. This wonderful child asks his mum to buy more chalk for Pete - "rainbow chalk". The compassion and empathy of this child make the stormy night almost unbearable as he worries about Pete outside in the cold, and rain, and dark so the little boy talks to the people who have shops near where Pete sits. Now that this child has opened their eyes, people start to give things to Pete - a blanket, a yellow coat, paper for drawing and warm coffee.
Pete keeps drawing with his chalk and the little boy shares his own drawings with Pete. One day, though, when the boy and his mum walk past, it is clear Pete is very unwell.
"That night my worries grew like thorns. I drew Pete a house and I wished it was real."
Pete disappears from the streets. The young child is desperate to find him so he puts up a poster- "Pete can you let us know you are okay?" We don't see Pete again but he does leave a small, reassuring gift for his young friend.
In our city, as in many cities around the world, homeless people sit on footpaths often with a sign and a hat hoping kind people will put in a few coins. Many people simply hurry past.
The words in the dedication are so important:
"I write as a grown-up who hopes that change will come, and as a human who believes we can all make a difference if we remember to keep compassion in our hearts and act on it. Last but not least, I wrote this book for my great-great-grandmother Martha, who was homeless and truly special, like Pete."
Here comes another one of my predictions - I really hope this book I saw Pete and Pete saw Me does make our CBCA Notables AND short list for 2021. Here are a set of teaching ideas from the publisher Affirm Press. Read more about Maggie Hutchins and Evie Barrow.
This is an important book which is beautifully expressed. The illustrations are perfect and echo the chalk drawings done by Pete. The end papers (thank you Evie Barrow) show the pattern from the blanket that Pete is given by coffee lady. You could have a discussion with your students about the importance of this blanket, the choice of colours, the work and love that goes into patchwork, and even the limitations of this gift. There is also much to explore in this book around Visual Literacy especially the concepts of "offer"; "vectors"; "salience"; and "colour". While you can read I saw Pete and Pete saw Me to a group of younger students I would suggest it would be even more powerful to read this book to a group of older students and then I would also read these:
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