Today is the United Nations Anti-Poverty Day, and I have been giving some thought this week to children’s books on the theme of poverty. Thanks to Lisa for drawing my attention to Blog Action Day, which was on Wednesday.

Poverty is of course a big and complex issue, and a challenging one to convey adequately to small children. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help thinking of this book, Mutt Dog, which offers a sensitive depiction of homelessness and poverty in an urban Western environment and I think can be used to gently introduce some of the concepts of poverty to children.

Mutt Dog belonged to no-one, he ate whatever he could find, and looked for a new place to sleep every night. One day he finds a halfway house, where there are people who are cold and tired like him.  A lady who works there notices him and although she tries put him outside and send him on his way, she eventually changes her mind and takes him home with her. And it’s in her home that Mutt Dog experiences the joys of a bath, a bowl of food and small pleasures like a bone.

Stephen Michael King’s illustrations are lovely - and they cleverly convey a sub-plot that adults can discuss with children or let them discover for themselves. As a background to the analagous story of Mutt Dog, the illustrations show plainly some of the discomfort and emotions of poverty. I find the illustration of the halfway house very touching in the body language and expressions on the peoples’ faces. I think the book successfully helps children to think about what it might be like - for an animal or a person - to go without food, or to have to find a place to sleep each night.