a tale of two beasts

10/31/2017

"I was walking home from Grandma's house, through the deep dark woods, when I spied a strangle little beast. He was stuck up in a tree, and whining sadly... so I decided to rescue him."

"I was hanging from my favorite tree, singing happily to the birds, when... I was ambushed by a terrible beast!"

If you've ever walked in on two little kids arguing, or watched the news, or gone on social media, or - well, you get the picture - you know that most stories have two (or more) sides to them. Fiona Roberton's A Tale of Two Beasts illustrates this concept beautifully by showing the same scenario from two perspectives.

In Part 1, a little girl describes "rescuing" an animal from the woods and taking care of him at her house. From her perspective, she is doing a great thing for this little guy... but he runs away as soon as she opens a window. In Part 2, the little animal describes being abducted by the girl and being trapped inside (which, of course, is why he runs away at his first opportunity). In the end, they both realize there are benefits to each other's company, even though they have different needs.

This picture book is a great conversation starter. It opens the door to talking about different viewpoints and why it's important to consider what someone else might be thinking - a tool that doesn't come naturally to young children! But, because of the subject of the story, it's also a great way to talk with kids about why we shouldn't try to adopt animals from the wild or feed them... it's a simple way to introduce the "leave no trace" concept when you're in the outdoors.

It's that book that reminds us to look at a story or situation from all perspectives.

Book benefits:

Story is fun to read and a little different, with two separate parts
The book shares an important message and opens conversations about perspective
Illustrations are playful and captivating

Buy A Tale of Two Beasts here! (hardcover, $12.99)

My quick video review: