Nutmeg get a little help

Judith Foxon, BAAF

ISBN 1 903699584, £12

STAR RATING 5/5

Nutmeg the squirrrel is back. He's older now and he's ready to find out more about why he was adopted, writes Clea Barry. His social worker, Beth Badger, helps him remember the good and bad times when he was little. She has lots of ideas to help him express his feelings.

This latest Nutmeg book has all the strengths of its predecessors: accessible drawings, honest-yet-child-friendly language and real emotional punch. With more words and a more explicit story line, it would suit children aged six upwards. It could be read straight through as a story, or worked on over many weeks. With so many creative ideas for life story work, it also makes a great introduction to the subject for social workers and adoptive parents.

Clea Barry is an adoption social worker