Chip by Kylie Howarth

Five Mile Press, 2016. ISBN 9781760400736
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Seaside, Seagulls, Food. Chip the seagull just loves chips. He dives for them, picks them up off the beach, rustles for them in bins and hassles customers at the fish and chip takeaway van by the shore. He eats 'fat chips, skinny chips, crunchy little bits of chips and even spicy chilli-dipped chips'. This cute little line is repeated through the story begging children to learn and repeat it themselves. But in being forward in winning his treats he falls foul of the owner of the van, Joe, who puts up a sign to tell his customers not to feed the gulls, and shoos the gulls away.
Chip has an idea, and collects the other gulls together to do something spectacular. It is so absorbing that their display is responsible for keeping customers at Joe's food van and the two work together to make it work. A neat resolution will satisfy the readers immensely. Chip the seagull with the bright red neck kerchief stands out in the crowd of gulls as he orchestrates their surprise display. The illustrations beautifully reflect the seaside and all that it means to kids and their families, and many will recall family excursions and holidays to the beach when reading this book.
Fran Knight