Archie's Grand Plan- a young readers guide to newness!

This Children’s Book Week we would like to shine a light on our new Marginal Publishing book, Archie’s Grand Plan, for its lessons in trying new things- no matter how hard it may be.

To set the scene for Archie’s Grand Plan, we have a young anteater who is tired of eating ants every day for every meal. Archie, the anteater, wishes to expand his palette and persuade his family to try new things even though it’s not the usual way of life. With the support of some handy and unexpected helpers, Archie achieves success!

 Through catchy rhymes and bright, beautiful illustrations, young readers are taken on a journey of standing up for what you want, going against the grain and trying new foods.

 Trying new things, particularly foods, can be incredibly scary for children especially if they are neurodivergent. The author of Archie’s Grand Plan, Ray, talks about their own experiences of food aversions and safe foods throughout their life- which helped inspire their creation. Children being able to read about characters that try new foods, will support them in doing the same and show them, through imagination and fun, that it is great to do!

 Throughout the story, Archie the anteater is helped by the ants to make his new meal. This notion of teamwork and asking for help when you can’t do something alone is powerful for young readers to see and understand. In a society that often makes it difficult to read out for help, it is even more important for us to instil the power of teamwork within our younger people.

 These wider concepts of support and newness are often complex even for us older readers, but by exploring these through friendly characters and simple rhymes with easy-flow beats, it becomes easier to introduce these notions to young readers in a way that feels fun and exciting.

 You may want to do more than just read your copy of Archie’s Grand Plan. You can email us for a free copy of a colouring sheet. You can create your own dream meal that you’d like the ants to help you dish up! Or you could design new hats and accessories for Archie and his family to rock while trying new foods!

 If you would like to have your own copy of Archie’s Grand Plan for £7.99- click below.