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A Tale of Two Beasts
A little girl rescues a strange beast in the woods and carries him safely home. But the beast is not happy and escapes! A funny and charming tale about seeing both sides of the story.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2015
13 people are currently reading
468 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Roberton
19 books19 followersFiona Roberton was born in Oxford, studied art and design in London and New York, and has worked and lived and travelled all over the world. Travelling is one of her favourite things.
She has kept the wolf from the door for a number of years by designing stuff, but has since befriended the wolf, and now has him to tea on Tuesdays. Sometimes, they go out.
She has kept the wolf from the door for a number of years by designing stuff, but has since befriended the wolf, and now has him to tea on Tuesdays. Sometimes, they go out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
April 22, 2021
A lovely story about a little girl who finds a beast in a forest and takes him in.
The story is also narrated from the beast’s point of view.
A beautiful book showing children that there’re always different point of views.
I would recommend it to some adults.
The story is also narrated from the beast’s point of view.
A beautiful book showing children that there’re always different point of views.
I would recommend it to some adults.
September 28, 2018
Per my second graders: I liked it because it was funny. It was funny when they were running in their underpants. I liked it because I liked how the illustrations looked, (proud teacher!!!).
February 9, 2019
I never heard of A Tale of Two Beasts before. I like stories about friendship and seeing the world in different ways, through different eyes.
December 15, 2015
This book is just genius. It is called A Tale of Two Beasts because it is told from the little girl's point of view who finds a beast in the woods and takes him home. Then the exact same story is told from the beasts' perspective with the illustrations matching throughout the story. It was beautifully illustrated and both the little girl and the beast are so sweet. It is a wonderful story.
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December 3, 2023I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a very fun story and had an interesting plot. Here is the summary of what happened in the book. The picture book takes us on a journey through the eyes of a little girl and the small creature where they both view each other as beasts. In the beginning they both think the other is awful. However, they come to the conclusion that they weren't after all.
The major theme of this book revolves around perspective empathy and understanding. Through the different point of views the book highlights the same events in a different way. Which shows us that we should try to understand each other because what we see might not be the full the truth. If I were to read this book to children, I would teach them to try to understand each other and not judge others quickly.
The mainGenre of this book is fantasy. If I were to read this book to children, I would teach them to try to understand each other and not judge others quickly. To try to see events from the other person's perspective because maybe they are doing what they're doing because they care for us. For example, some kids don't know what parents are doing for them and might think that they are punishing them however, parents were all scared for their kids.
Some of the literary devices used in this book are the point of view and irony. The point of view of each of the little girl and the beast give us a contrasting story of how the same events can be perceived differently. The irony was in showing The hat the beast used to wear is actually useful for him to keep him warm.
This book was a WOW Book for me because it shows that we need to be kind to each other and understand each other better because that makes us A better society. The book also used different perspective to make it very interesting story. It was also very entertaining.
The author used nonbiased language in the book by showing the different people can have different perspectives. Yet they can work together and harmony to help each other.
The major theme of this book revolves around perspective empathy and understanding. Through the different point of views the book highlights the same events in a different way. Which shows us that we should try to understand each other because what we see might not be the full the truth. If I were to read this book to children, I would teach them to try to understand each other and not judge others quickly.
The mainGenre of this book is fantasy. If I were to read this book to children, I would teach them to try to understand each other and not judge others quickly. To try to see events from the other person's perspective because maybe they are doing what they're doing because they care for us. For example, some kids don't know what parents are doing for them and might think that they are punishing them however, parents were all scared for their kids.
Some of the literary devices used in this book are the point of view and irony. The point of view of each of the little girl and the beast give us a contrasting story of how the same events can be perceived differently. The irony was in showing The hat the beast used to wear is actually useful for him to keep him warm.
This book was a WOW Book for me because it shows that we need to be kind to each other and understand each other better because that makes us A better society. The book also used different perspective to make it very interesting story. It was also very entertaining.
The author used nonbiased language in the book by showing the different people can have different perspectives. Yet they can work together and harmony to help each other.
May 2, 2023
A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Robertson is a whimsical and unique fantasy picture book that tells the story of a little girl and a mysterious creature she encounters in the woods. This book caught my attention by the way it was written, as it is divided into two parts, telling the same story from different perspectives. The first part is narrated by the little girl, while the second part is narrated by the creature. I love reading books that share different perspectives from different characters as it allows me to gain a better understanding of each character! In fact, one of my favorite books, "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys is also written from multiple perspectives!
Robertson cleverly uses visual cues throughout the book to depict events from both perspectives. The narrative structure in the book is easy for the reader to follow along as it progresses from each event to the next, in both perspectives. In terms of bias, A Tale of Two Beasts is as free of bias as possible, since the book is a work of fiction, does not address any specific cultural or historical issues, and does not include any stereotypes.
One of the primary messages of the book is the importance of empathy and understanding. Through the different perspectives of the little girl and the creature, readers are shown how different perspectives can shape our understanding of the same events. This can help children learn to be more mindful and compassionate towards others, even if they have different backgrounds, experiences, or ways of communicating. This book can also teach children how to comprehend stories that are written from multiple perspectives!
Robertson cleverly uses visual cues throughout the book to depict events from both perspectives. The narrative structure in the book is easy for the reader to follow along as it progresses from each event to the next, in both perspectives. In terms of bias, A Tale of Two Beasts is as free of bias as possible, since the book is a work of fiction, does not address any specific cultural or historical issues, and does not include any stereotypes.
One of the primary messages of the book is the importance of empathy and understanding. Through the different perspectives of the little girl and the creature, readers are shown how different perspectives can shape our understanding of the same events. This can help children learn to be more mindful and compassionate towards others, even if they have different backgrounds, experiences, or ways of communicating. This book can also teach children how to comprehend stories that are written from multiple perspectives!
October 11, 2017
I absolutely adored this book! I thought the whole idea of this book is very engaging for young readers. This would be a wonderful book to introduce kindergarten students to how a story can be told from different perspectives. I think this book allows children to see how some people might view events completely different from others. This book allows students to have an imagination about how to write stories from different points of views. This book is silly and imaginative but also has a sweet side. From the squirrels or the “strange little beasts” perspective he thinks the young girl is a beast but in the end warms up to her and realizes she isn’t so bad after all. I think this book does more than teaching perspectives but also shows how just because you don’t get along or understand someone right away doesn’t mean that you should not be friends with them but try to understand their point of view! Overall, I loved this book!
April 1, 2020
Text-to-World Connection
This book is a great way to show that there are two sides to a story. So often we hear just one side and judge on that version. This book shows the different viewpoints of each character and you can see how they both felt. It is a simple story but we can use it to look at a much larger picture for our students to start being aware of information. We can use this as a building block to help illustrate to children that not everything on the Internet, for example, is the absolute truth. We have to look at different sides of the story – not to mention finding reliable sources - to find the truth. One website may lean towards one side and another may lean to another viewpoint. This would be a great book to start the digital information awareness that they need now as a skill in the real world.
This book is a great way to show that there are two sides to a story. So often we hear just one side and judge on that version. This book shows the different viewpoints of each character and you can see how they both felt. It is a simple story but we can use it to look at a much larger picture for our students to start being aware of information. We can use this as a building block to help illustrate to children that not everything on the Internet, for example, is the absolute truth. We have to look at different sides of the story – not to mention finding reliable sources - to find the truth. One website may lean towards one side and another may lean to another viewpoint. This would be a great book to start the digital information awareness that they need now as a skill in the real world.
September 19, 2025
In A Tale of Two Beasts, a young girl "rescues" a "strange beast" from the woods. She kisses him and loves him and squeezes him and calls him George. Not really, but that's the vibe. She is sad when he escapes and returns to the woods. Then, we get the other side of the story, where a critter (I think he's a squirrel) is minding his own business in the woods, when a "terrible beast" scoops him up and takes him away and gives him a bath and makes him wear clothes and shows him off to all her strange terrible friends, until he has the chance to flee out the window back to the woods. Can common ground be found for this unlikely pair of beasts? This book's cute illustrations gave me all the fall feels, in tone and color. I enjoyed this sweet tale of dual perspectives.
April 7, 2017
This book is really fun and smart! Roberton tells the story of a young girl who comes across a small beast creature and takes it home to take care of it but can't understand why it doesn't seem happy with her. Then the story is told from the creature's point-of-view, and the girl seems like the mean, strange one in that version. This book is a great way to teach children why taking wild animals home isn't always good, but it's good fun!
December 17, 2019
A super cute book from two points of view.
Girl: Rescues poor squirrel. Takes him home , feeds him, bathes him, takes him to school , walks him. But he is not happy and escapes
Beast: He was minding his own business when a beast kidnaps him, ties him up, gets him too clean and tries to feed him squirrel food. He escapes but really misses the hat.
They meet up and realize they both liked each other.
Girl: Rescues poor squirrel. Takes him home , feeds him, bathes him, takes him to school , walks him. But he is not happy and escapes
Beast: He was minding his own business when a beast kidnaps him, ties him up, gets him too clean and tries to feed him squirrel food. He escapes but really misses the hat.
They meet up and realize they both liked each other.
April 13, 2018
3.5 stars
The book deserves an extra star for the interesting idea to tell the story from two different perspectives.
The book deserves an extra star for the interesting idea to tell the story from two different perspectives.
November 22, 2024
In this fantasy book, we are introduced to a little girl who finds a little “beast” and the beast ends up leaving her. Perhaps the most interesting and impactful part of this book is the author's use of point of view and the internal dialogue the characters have within themselves. As the story progresses we see what the little girl thinks and then we see what the beast thinks. The main themes of this book are communication and friendship. Both the girl and the beast judge each other because they don’t understand what the other person is thinking. The book teaches children that oftentimes what we think is the correct choice for someone else is not often what they think is correct for themselves. The illustrations serve to show the emotions of the characters and as the story progresses the use of color also changes. The repeated use of the word “beast” also shows us that instead of understanding, we as a society are often quick to label people. The simple use of words makes this story easy to follow.
The book is free of bias because it illustrates different people of different backgrounds and does not use harmful stereotypes. This is a WOW book for me because it makes me think about how other people view the same story differently. Is the girl to blame? Or the monster? The book plays with your morals by unconsciously making you pick a side without knowing further details. This book can teach children about acceptance and understanding of people who are different and live a different lifestyle than them. This book also teaches us not to judge others and to be mindful of our actions and word choices. I also like how in the end both the characters stopped calling each other monsters and started appreciating one another.
March 18, 2024
Such a cute book read it to the girls!! ❤️♥️
February 19, 2021
Text-to-Teaching Connection
While walking home from Grandma's house, a little girl rescues a little beast from a tree. She takes him home and names him. She even takes him to school with her. When Fang runs away, the little girl is sad and misses him. Then Fang comes back. The book then starts to tell the story from the beast's point of view and it's a totally different story. The animal thinks the girl is a beast. His experience was totally different from hers. This book is a good tool to use when teaching point of view. It gives both sides of the story. It teaches kids that everyone has a different way of seeing the same thing. They way they see something may be different from what their friend sees. Loved it!
While walking home from Grandma's house, a little girl rescues a little beast from a tree. She takes him home and names him. She even takes him to school with her. When Fang runs away, the little girl is sad and misses him. Then Fang comes back. The book then starts to tell the story from the beast's point of view and it's a totally different story. The animal thinks the girl is a beast. His experience was totally different from hers. This book is a good tool to use when teaching point of view. It gives both sides of the story. It teaches kids that everyone has a different way of seeing the same thing. They way they see something may be different from what their friend sees. Loved it!
February 20, 2017
A Tale of Two Beasts is the classic tale of not judging a book, or this in case, one's actions by the cover. The book makes the interesting decision of telling the story twice, from the prospective of a girl "taming" her new pet and her new "pet" trying to escape from the "beast" that is attempting to tame it. The artist uses bright colors and over exaggerated features to convey the emotions both parties feel, adding the ability for children to understand a deeper subtext and aspect of the book. While the book occasionally hit the reader over the head with the intended meaning, it does serves as a decent introduction to showing differences of perceptions. The illustrations and format serve as the best of qualities of a decent book.
March 25, 2022
Really fun and cute, teach about the adventure that is having a pet
March 28, 2016
I received a print copy of this title for review from Hachette Australia.
Ten Second Synopsis:
A young girl befriends a squirrel-thing and takes it home to be her pet. The squirrel-thing sees things differently. Accusations of squirrel-thing-napping ensue.
This book is a clever lesson in looking at things from someone else’s perspective. Apart from the delightful illustrations and the priceless facial expressions of the squirrel-bat-wolf creature, this book has a unique format that tells the girl’s side of the story from the beginning to the middle, and then the squirrel-wolf-bat creature’s side from the middle to the end. The illustrations are almost identical in each half of the book, with subtle changes in positioning and speech to reflect the viewpoint of the narrator. When all is said and done, a consensus of opinion is reached betwixt girl and creature and a delicate, joyful balance achieved.
The only thing that could have elevated this to Top Book of 2016 pick status for me is if the format had been changed so that the two stories both read towards the middle of the book, culminating in the same whimsical, night time romp. That would have been perfect. As it is, this is still a fun, subversive read that will have young ones pondering the meanings behind their pets’ facial expressions for days after reading.
Ten Second Synopsis:
A young girl befriends a squirrel-thing and takes it home to be her pet. The squirrel-thing sees things differently. Accusations of squirrel-thing-napping ensue.
This book is a clever lesson in looking at things from someone else’s perspective. Apart from the delightful illustrations and the priceless facial expressions of the squirrel-bat-wolf creature, this book has a unique format that tells the girl’s side of the story from the beginning to the middle, and then the squirrel-wolf-bat creature’s side from the middle to the end. The illustrations are almost identical in each half of the book, with subtle changes in positioning and speech to reflect the viewpoint of the narrator. When all is said and done, a consensus of opinion is reached betwixt girl and creature and a delicate, joyful balance achieved.
The only thing that could have elevated this to Top Book of 2016 pick status for me is if the format had been changed so that the two stories both read towards the middle of the book, culminating in the same whimsical, night time romp. That would have been perfect. As it is, this is still a fun, subversive read that will have young ones pondering the meanings behind their pets’ facial expressions for days after reading.
October 9, 2016
This is a great fantasy story! Grades 3-5 would really benefit from this story. In this book, a tale is is told from two perspectives who each consider each other as a "beast". Each of the main character tells their own story of how they met and what happened during their interaction with each other. This story depicts how we as humans often use first impressions as the last impression but that should never be the case. The main characters in the story look at each other as beasts and determine their actions based off that description. However, throughout the story they realize that each other are not as bad as they thought, essentially they realize that they shouldn't have called each other beast. This story also teaches are there are two sides to every story and its important to pay attention to detail when determining what story to believe.
A teacher could use this story to teach their students how to find valid information. Since technology is used more in today's classrooms than ever before, teachers can use this story to help students realize that information on events can be told differently and its important to pay attention to where you get your information from. Even though this is a fantasy story, it teaches a valuable lesson that there are always two sides to each story.
Great fantasy book that teaches valuable lessons.
A teacher could use this story to teach their students how to find valid information. Since technology is used more in today's classrooms than ever before, teachers can use this story to help students realize that information on events can be told differently and its important to pay attention to where you get your information from. Even though this is a fantasy story, it teaches a valuable lesson that there are always two sides to each story.
Great fantasy book that teaches valuable lessons.
February 12, 2019
I love how this book shows two different sides of the story. This is a good message and lesson for kids to learn at an early age especially in the generation of entitlement and egocentrism. And such cute illustrations keep my daughter occupied the entire way through. Highly recommend
April 29, 2025
There are always two sides to every story and learning empathy is a great start to understanding different points of view. A Tale of Two Beasts is about a young girl who finds a strange small creature in the forest, names it Fang, and takes it home as a pet. She assumes that his life in the dark forest is not suitable so she forcefully cares for the creature by giving him baths, dressing him up, and showing him to her classmates. By the end of the day the beast is looking very hot and annoyed which she interprets as him getting sick. The girl opens a window to cool him down and he escapes! The point of view then switches to the small beast. His story starts as he's hanging from his favorite branch in the dark forest and a large beast captures and ties him up. The beast cleans him, traps him in a box, and shows him off to the other beasts. When the girl opens her window he uses that chance to escape. Once he’s back in the dark forest he realizes how cold he is and goes back to get a warm hat from the girl. The two see each other in the end and change their point of views; the girl is not a monster and the creature is not a weird beast. The major themes in the book was that there are two sides to every story and empathy allows us to better understand each other's situation. The theme that there can be different sides to the same story is physically shown in the reading because the author creates a part one and part two of the two beasts adventures together. In part one the girl believes she is helping the beast by taking care of him while in part two the creature feels like he is being tortured by a large beast. This goes to show that it is possible to be on the same coin but completely different sides. It is important to teach young audiences that their peers might have an entirely different view of one story. This concept is where empathy comes into the equation. The girl thought she understood the creature because she had sympathy for his living situation, but what she really needed was empathy. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes. If the girl had the ability to think about what was in the creature's best interest she would sooner discover that he was happy where he was in the dark forest instead of torturing him with acts of “kindness.” The main genre of this book is Fantasy but more specifically low fantasy because it contains talking animals. Children reading this book could learn empathy and kindness toward animals. As stated before empathy allows us to feel with someone rather than for someone. To have this skill is also important to how we as humans treat the animals around us. In real life animals can’t talk so learning kindness towards those who can't advocate for themselves creates a positive social environment. This book was a WOW book for me because I loved how Roberton divided the story into two parts. I thought this was a perfect way to separate the two points of views and created a fun and engaging read for me!
Two of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were onomatopoeia and alliteration. These literary devices added to the quality of the writing by creating familiarity between the two stories and an active read. I believe every time an author uses onomatopoeia it creates a more engaging story time for young audiences. If A Tale of Two Beasts is shown to a group of children who are not sufficient in reading skills, sounds like; feep feep, urrrgh, and yippieee can be easily replicated in call and response exercises. This gives children an exciting exercise to get involved with the book and introduce reading as fun. I also noticed the use of alliteration, especially with the repetition of “deep dark forest.” I thought this was a fun way to connect both sides of the story because it is what both beasts called the forest. The memorable alliteration of the phrase was used throughout the book but had different meanings for each beast, furthering the idea that they are two sides of the same coin. The author portrayed anti-bias perspectives in this book by creating a story without stereotypes toward the young girl and prejudice that would lead to any judgement regarding her actions toward the creature
Two of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were onomatopoeia and alliteration. These literary devices added to the quality of the writing by creating familiarity between the two stories and an active read. I believe every time an author uses onomatopoeia it creates a more engaging story time for young audiences. If A Tale of Two Beasts is shown to a group of children who are not sufficient in reading skills, sounds like; feep feep, urrrgh, and yippieee can be easily replicated in call and response exercises. This gives children an exciting exercise to get involved with the book and introduce reading as fun. I also noticed the use of alliteration, especially with the repetition of “deep dark forest.” I thought this was a fun way to connect both sides of the story because it is what both beasts called the forest. The memorable alliteration of the phrase was used throughout the book but had different meanings for each beast, furthering the idea that they are two sides of the same coin. The author portrayed anti-bias perspectives in this book by creating a story without stereotypes toward the young girl and prejudice that would lead to any judgement regarding her actions toward the creature
November 28, 2024
In A Tale of Two Beasts, Fiona Robertson tells a fun and thought-provoking story that teaches kids the important lesson of looking at things from different perspectives. In this book, a little girl and a wild beast share their versions of the same story. The girl thinks she is helping the beast by rescuing him, but he feels like she is the one causing the trouble. The book is funny because you get to see both sides of the story, and it shows how the same event can look very different depending on who’s telling it.
The major themes in the book were the importance of recognizing different perspectives by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and empathy. The story shows how each character sees things differently, with the theme of perspective highlighted through the two viewpoints, the little girl’s and the beast’s, reminding readers that everyone has their way of looking at the world. The girl believes she is rescuing the beast, while the beast feels like she’s captured him. The second theme, empathy, is shown when the beast realizes the girl isn’t as bad as he thought. At first, he sees her as a threat, but by the end, he understands she is trying to help, even though she scared him. This change in the beast’s thinking shows how empathy helps us move past misunderstandings to connect with others.
The main genre of this book is fantasy. Through reading this book, I learned that our perspective could change when we understand how someone else feels. It taught me that we shouldn’t judge a situation based on just one point of view. For example, the beast initially thought the girl was being mean, but when he understood her intentions, he realized she was trying to help. This shows that sometimes, our actions can be misunderstood, and it is important to listen to others before jumping to conclusions. This book was a WOW book for me because it teaches a simple yet important lesson to think before making judgments. The fun twist in the story, along with the illustrations, make it enjoyable for readers of all ages.
Two of the literary devices that the author used in writing this book were a first-person point of view and humor. These devices made the story more engaging and helped readers understand the characters better. The dual first-person point of view lets the story be told from both the girl’s and the beast’s perspectives, using “I” for each. It enhances the quality of the writing because it shows how each character sees the same event, which helps the readers understand their feelings. Humor is the other literary device used, and it adds a fun element to the book. The beast’s exaggerated reactions and the playful illustrations make the story entertaining while still teaching valuable lessons about empathy and understanding. Overall, it makes the story enjoyable and meaningful for the readers.
I would consider this book to be anti-bias because it encourages readers to look beyond first impressions and understand other people’s feelings. The story shows how the girl and the beast experience the same situation in completely different ways. While the girl sees the beast as scary, hearing the beast’s side reveals that he is actually kind and misunderstood. This helps readers understand how our biases can influence how we judge others, even when we don’t have all the facts. By sharing both character’s perspectives, the author teaches children not to make assumptions based on appearances and be more open-minded.
The major themes in the book were the importance of recognizing different perspectives by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and empathy. The story shows how each character sees things differently, with the theme of perspective highlighted through the two viewpoints, the little girl’s and the beast’s, reminding readers that everyone has their way of looking at the world. The girl believes she is rescuing the beast, while the beast feels like she’s captured him. The second theme, empathy, is shown when the beast realizes the girl isn’t as bad as he thought. At first, he sees her as a threat, but by the end, he understands she is trying to help, even though she scared him. This change in the beast’s thinking shows how empathy helps us move past misunderstandings to connect with others.
The main genre of this book is fantasy. Through reading this book, I learned that our perspective could change when we understand how someone else feels. It taught me that we shouldn’t judge a situation based on just one point of view. For example, the beast initially thought the girl was being mean, but when he understood her intentions, he realized she was trying to help. This shows that sometimes, our actions can be misunderstood, and it is important to listen to others before jumping to conclusions. This book was a WOW book for me because it teaches a simple yet important lesson to think before making judgments. The fun twist in the story, along with the illustrations, make it enjoyable for readers of all ages.
Two of the literary devices that the author used in writing this book were a first-person point of view and humor. These devices made the story more engaging and helped readers understand the characters better. The dual first-person point of view lets the story be told from both the girl’s and the beast’s perspectives, using “I” for each. It enhances the quality of the writing because it shows how each character sees the same event, which helps the readers understand their feelings. Humor is the other literary device used, and it adds a fun element to the book. The beast’s exaggerated reactions and the playful illustrations make the story entertaining while still teaching valuable lessons about empathy and understanding. Overall, it makes the story enjoyable and meaningful for the readers.
I would consider this book to be anti-bias because it encourages readers to look beyond first impressions and understand other people’s feelings. The story shows how the girl and the beast experience the same situation in completely different ways. While the girl sees the beast as scary, hearing the beast’s side reveals that he is actually kind and misunderstood. This helps readers understand how our biases can influence how we judge others, even when we don’t have all the facts. By sharing both character’s perspectives, the author teaches children not to make assumptions based on appearances and be more open-minded.
April 8, 2021
Fiona Roberton was cunning and humorous in her fantasy book “A Tale of Two Beasts.” A charming story told from two perspectives in which the reader gets to decide which character is the real beast. The tale depicts the experiences told by both a young girl and a little beast in the woods from the moment they first met to all of their interactions following. Because they are both convinced the other is a beast, their interactions are written as so; if the story itself and the message behind it weren’t genius enough, the thoughtful, strategic, and exquisite illustrations make the book that much more interesting and fun to read!
This text would serve as an introductory lesson on finding and analyzing perspectives in books. Because the same story is told from two extremely different points of view, the reader can see clearly just how situations can differ for each character. Analyzing perspectives can then lead students into a discussion of the importance of paying attention to where information comes from; using this story to show students that the same story can be told in completely different ways allows them to consider how many other situations might be told differently by different people or things as well. I would use this book as an example and provide scaffolding questions for students to participate in a creative writing activity in which they tell the same story from two different perspectives as well!
Another way to implement this text in an elementary classroom would be to use it as a tool for students to make inferences and apply comprehension strategies. I as the teacher would read this book aloud to my students and pause after telling the first part of the story; before moving on to the next perspective, I would scaffold students’ thinking to see what they thought the about the story and if they believed the beast felt his experience was a fun and enjoyable one. Students will write their own ideas for what they think really happened in the beast’s perspective prior to hearing that part and make connections to real world situations and experiences. Here, they can implement a very important tool that I find useful when comprehending which is a text-to-self connection; students can write about their own experiences with pets or wild animals and consider potential perspectives that the beast might have.
My experience with this book was an interesting one. In observing many classrooms this year, I’ve been looking through teacher’s classroom libraries to get some inspiration for my own; I was shocked to find this (what I thought was a young child’s fantasy tale) book in several upper elementary classrooms. When I read it for myself, I thought it was kind of genius...in my opinion, any text that requires the reader to channel some sort of empathy in trying to imagine the experience from a point of view that is not your own (putting yourself in someone else’s shoes) can be taught across any age/grade level. To be empathetic is A SKILL and practicing empathy is HARD. When considering the number of activities that could be done and lessons that could be made around this book, I was left saying WOW. This book is transferable across several grade levels, is complex, and brilliant. I will definitely be adding this one to my future classroom library, and I recommend anyone and everyone else to as well.
This text would serve as an introductory lesson on finding and analyzing perspectives in books. Because the same story is told from two extremely different points of view, the reader can see clearly just how situations can differ for each character. Analyzing perspectives can then lead students into a discussion of the importance of paying attention to where information comes from; using this story to show students that the same story can be told in completely different ways allows them to consider how many other situations might be told differently by different people or things as well. I would use this book as an example and provide scaffolding questions for students to participate in a creative writing activity in which they tell the same story from two different perspectives as well!
Another way to implement this text in an elementary classroom would be to use it as a tool for students to make inferences and apply comprehension strategies. I as the teacher would read this book aloud to my students and pause after telling the first part of the story; before moving on to the next perspective, I would scaffold students’ thinking to see what they thought the about the story and if they believed the beast felt his experience was a fun and enjoyable one. Students will write their own ideas for what they think really happened in the beast’s perspective prior to hearing that part and make connections to real world situations and experiences. Here, they can implement a very important tool that I find useful when comprehending which is a text-to-self connection; students can write about their own experiences with pets or wild animals and consider potential perspectives that the beast might have.
My experience with this book was an interesting one. In observing many classrooms this year, I’ve been looking through teacher’s classroom libraries to get some inspiration for my own; I was shocked to find this (what I thought was a young child’s fantasy tale) book in several upper elementary classrooms. When I read it for myself, I thought it was kind of genius...in my opinion, any text that requires the reader to channel some sort of empathy in trying to imagine the experience from a point of view that is not your own (putting yourself in someone else’s shoes) can be taught across any age/grade level. To be empathetic is A SKILL and practicing empathy is HARD. When considering the number of activities that could be done and lessons that could be made around this book, I was left saying WOW. This book is transferable across several grade levels, is complex, and brilliant. I will definitely be adding this one to my future classroom library, and I recommend anyone and everyone else to as well.
December 9, 2024
Tale of Two Beasts is a children’s book written by Fiona Roberton. The book is split into two parts: the first part is from the little girl's point of view and the second part is from the squirrel’s point of view. The little girl thinks that she is rescuing the squirrel and takes it home with her. She is trying to be helpful but as soon as she opens the window, the squirrel runs off but returns later that night. In the squirrel’s point of view, it believes that it is being kidnapped by a terrible beast and shown off to other beasts like her so as soon as she opens the window it runs off but returns later for the hat that the little girl gave it. What the girl believes is her helping the squirrel, the squirrel views it as its freedom being taken. In the end, both the little girl and the squirrel decide that the other might not be so bad after all. The major themes in the book were perspective and communication. The book shows readers that everyone can have a different perspective of a situation and can interpret a person’s actions differently than someone else might. Since the book shows both the little girls point-of-view and the squirrel’s point of view, it gives children an example about how someone might view the situation or how someone’s actions may not come across how they meant for them to. The book shows readers how there can be confusion and a misunderstanding when there is a lack of communication between people/animals. The book gives an example from two different points-of-view for why listening to others and finding a way to communicate is important. Readers are able to see the miscommunication and understand the confusion that follows. The main genre of this book is fantasy. Children reading this book can learn that other people have boundaries that they should accept and not push. They can also learn about the importance of communication and how it can help people better understand each other and avoid misunderstandings/confusion. This book was a WOW book for me because I really like how it can teach people about the importance of boundaries and communication from two different perspectives in a way that was simple for people to understand. By having it in two perspectives it makes it so that people can see both sides instead of just one and can help them reflect in the future to avoid misunderstandings with other people.
Two of the literary devices the author used in this book were point of view and juxtaposition. By using point of view, the author was able to tell the story from two viewpoints instead of just once. Juxtaposition added to the quality of the writing in this book because it gave two opposing points of view which can help the readers get a better understanding of the different ways their actions could be interpreted or perceived. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it gave more than one perspective of an event. It also provides a helpful lesson to children about why communication is important and promotes understanding.
Two of the literary devices the author used in this book were point of view and juxtaposition. By using point of view, the author was able to tell the story from two viewpoints instead of just once. Juxtaposition added to the quality of the writing in this book because it gave two opposing points of view which can help the readers get a better understanding of the different ways their actions could be interpreted or perceived. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it gave more than one perspective of an event. It also provides a helpful lesson to children about why communication is important and promotes understanding.
December 8, 2024
Imagine the point of view if a squirrel was taken by a beast wanting to help. How would he react? In the book A Tale of Two Beasts, Fiona Roberton captures the two perspectives of a beast, the young girl, and an innocent squirrel in a unique friendship. It began with the young girl's encounter with the small animal taking it home hoping to make friends with. According to her, the squirrel acted in a mischievous and belligerent manner, taking it through a normal day of a child’s life. However, I liked how the book turns the tide by taking the beast’s perspective spending the whole day with the young girl. From the squirrel’s view point, it thought of the child as a beast that is frightening and aggressive. It believed it captured it for bad intentions, but later learnt that she was simply helping them by being a friend. The contrast between both characters shines light on how amusing perspectives can change because of the situation. The genre of the book was Fantasy with its major themes in the book being perspective and empathy. The first being the most important since the author stresses how vastly different one can experience solely because of their perspective. The young girl saw the squirrel as a friend, while the squirrel interpreted as being captured. Toward the end, the squirrel misunderstood the young girl's action that led to them solidifying their friendship. This shows how the other theme of empathy plays out when the squirrel reflects his experience to appreciate the kindness from the young girl. This highlights the author's writing exemplifying a valuable lesson taught in this book. Through reading this book, I learned the importance of how everyone has their own point of view. This is mainly why I always try to stay open-minded, even in difficult situations. Another important concept I learnt was how being open-minded comes from being empathetic to others, necessary in growing a mutual understanding and compassion with one another. This book was a WOW book for me because of how humorous the author blends the story with a situation that can bring conflict at times because of misunderstandings. I love how enjoyable this book was and would love to share it with my younger brother, too!
Two of the literary devices the author used in this book were point of view and onomatopoeia. These literary devices add to the quality of the book by creating a more dynamic story with different perspectives and word play to express and connect with the character’s feelings. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it covers two different perspectives that challenge their initial impressions to teach an important lesson that you should not judge based on the outside before you look inside.
Two of the literary devices the author used in this book were point of view and onomatopoeia. These literary devices add to the quality of the book by creating a more dynamic story with different perspectives and word play to express and connect with the character’s feelings. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it covers two different perspectives that challenge their initial impressions to teach an important lesson that you should not judge based on the outside before you look inside.
April 16, 2019
This fantasy text, first tells the story of a young little girl and how she discovers a strange little beast. She cares for him and treats him as if he were her own pet (she gives him a bath, takes him on walks, feeds him nuts, etc.). That night he escapes, however, after some time he returns in the window of the young girls room. Though this may seem like this is the end of the story, it's not!! The story then goes on to tell the 'little beast's' side of the story. From his perspective, the little girl is more of a terrible beast. He tells how she made him clean-which he didn't like- drug him on walks, fed him squirrel food, etc. From his perspective, the little girl seems like a terrible creature. As a result, he decides to escape, however, after being in the cold, silent, wet forest, he decides to return to the warmth of the young girl's room. This story, great for third graders, stood out as a wow book for me because it emphasizes the importance of looking at both sides of a story. What you experience and what someone else, in the same situation, experience may be two completely different things. I love how this text shows that. I think this is an important topic for students to realize so that they can be more conscious of others situations and can overall respect others better.
One way this text can be used for instruction is that students can complete their own fictional stories and incorporate two sides of a story. This can help students with their writing and encourage them to be creative, yet mindful of multiple perspectives. Students can then share out their stories during a time of presentations. Another method of how this text can be used when teaching is to pause when the first part of the story ends and have students write what they think the little beast was thinking throughout this experience. Students can come up with their own stories based on what happened in the text. In this they can use several comprehension strategies-making inferences, making connections, etc. They can apply what they read and noticed in the first story to write the second. Once students have done so, they can share out a few of their ideas. Then the teacher can read part two of the story and students can check to see if they were right and if what happened surprised them. Overall, I think this story can be a great lesson to help students to realize the importance of hearing multiple perspectives. After reading, students can discuss why it is important to hear all sides of a story and can even have the opportunity to act out different skits that they can create telling multiple sides of a story.
One way this text can be used for instruction is that students can complete their own fictional stories and incorporate two sides of a story. This can help students with their writing and encourage them to be creative, yet mindful of multiple perspectives. Students can then share out their stories during a time of presentations. Another method of how this text can be used when teaching is to pause when the first part of the story ends and have students write what they think the little beast was thinking throughout this experience. Students can come up with their own stories based on what happened in the text. In this they can use several comprehension strategies-making inferences, making connections, etc. They can apply what they read and noticed in the first story to write the second. Once students have done so, they can share out a few of their ideas. Then the teacher can read part two of the story and students can check to see if they were right and if what happened surprised them. Overall, I think this story can be a great lesson to help students to realize the importance of hearing multiple perspectives. After reading, students can discuss why it is important to hear all sides of a story and can even have the opportunity to act out different skits that they can create telling multiple sides of a story.
May 4, 2025
Two sides of the same story can reveal a lot about how we understand each other. In this book, a young girl discovers a strange creature hanging upside down from a tree in the forest. In an attempt to “rescue” him, she takes him home, dresses him up, feeds him, and introduces him to her friends. Despite all this, the creature doesn’t respond the way she expects and eventually runs away. The story then restarts (such a cool idea), but from the perspective of the little creature. He shares his feelings of confusion and fear by explaining how he was “ambushed” by a terrible beast who forced him into wearing odd clothes, fed him strange food, and kept him trapped in a box with nothing to do. He eventually finds a way to escape, but after a little while he returns, and the two characters reconnect. One major theme in this book is miscommunication and misunderstanding, as both the girl and the creature had good intentions, but neither knew how the other felt. Another important theme is perspective. The two characters went through the same events but experienced them in completely different ways! The main genre of this book is fantasy. Two concepts that children reading this book can learn are that different people may see the same situation in very different ways, and that it’s extremely important to listen and try to understand how others feel. This was a WOW book for me because I think the rewind of the story from the other perspective was such a clever and creative way to simply teach kids a meaningful message about empathy and perspective.
Two literary devices used in this book were irony and tone shift. Irony played a major role in adding to the quality of this book by showing how the same situation could be interpreted in completely opposite ways. What the girl believes is a heroic rescue is a terrifying kidnapping from the creature’s perspective. This irony helps highlight how even good intentions can be misunderstood. Tone shift added depth by creating two very different emotional experiences in each half of the story. The girl’s tone is cheerful and lighthearted, while the creature’s tone is dramatic and exaggerated. The shift helps readers feel the emotional contrast and understand how differently two people can see the same experience. The author portrayed anti-bias perspectives by showing that two people can interpret the same situation in totally opposite ways, and that both can still be valid. This is a great lesson for children, teaching them that their view of the world isn’t the only one, and that understanding others leads to better relationships.
Two literary devices used in this book were irony and tone shift. Irony played a major role in adding to the quality of this book by showing how the same situation could be interpreted in completely opposite ways. What the girl believes is a heroic rescue is a terrifying kidnapping from the creature’s perspective. This irony helps highlight how even good intentions can be misunderstood. Tone shift added depth by creating two very different emotional experiences in each half of the story. The girl’s tone is cheerful and lighthearted, while the creature’s tone is dramatic and exaggerated. The shift helps readers feel the emotional contrast and understand how differently two people can see the same experience. The author portrayed anti-bias perspectives by showing that two people can interpret the same situation in totally opposite ways, and that both can still be valid. This is a great lesson for children, teaching them that their view of the world isn’t the only one, and that understanding others leads to better relationships.
April 22, 2024
Have you ever wondered what someone else was thinking in a shared experience? In this book, we see the two perspectives of two “beasts”, a girl and a forest animal. From the girl’s perspective, she is saving a strange beast and caring for him, cleaning him, and feeding him. Unfortunately, from the forest animal’s perspective, she is ambushing him, making him disgustingly clean, feeding him a squirrel’s diet, and making him do things that he doesn’t like! Although we are able to see both of their points of views, the two beasts are unable to know what the other is thinking. I found the humor brought in this plot to be very captivating, leaving me to wonder which beast is the real beast? The major themes in the book were communication and acceptance. As we see the two different views, it proves that communication is a vital and important part of our lives and relationships, keeping our bonds with others strong and healthy. At the end of the story, although the two beasts find each other to be different, they end up being happy with each other’s differences and grateful to have one another’s presence. Children reading this book could learn the lesson that there are always two sides to the story. Children will think deeply of other’s feelings and look at things from an unbiased perspective. Another lesson that children can learn from this story is how to communicate with others. Nobody is a mind reader, so it is important to communicate! This book was a WOW book for me because of the adorable illustrations and the humor.
Some of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were parallelism, imagery, and irony. Following the little girl’s perspective, she is happily rescuing and taking care of her pet, and from the forest animal’s perspective, a wild beast is terrifying. This parallelism allows us to read both sides of the two beast’s minds and appreciate the complexity of perspectives. The imagery in this story such as, “In weather like this one could do with a nice warm hat”, allows us as readers to picture why Fang, the forest animal, wanted to come back, imagining somewhere comfy and cozy. The irony in this story brings humor and allows the story to be more enjoyable. As the two beasts misunderstand one another, we are able to see the contrast between the two’s emotions. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it challenges the stereotype of having only one truth, as the author writes about the same event, yet there are two different perspectives.
Some of the literary devices the author used in writing this book were parallelism, imagery, and irony. Following the little girl’s perspective, she is happily rescuing and taking care of her pet, and from the forest animal’s perspective, a wild beast is terrifying. This parallelism allows us to read both sides of the two beast’s minds and appreciate the complexity of perspectives. The imagery in this story such as, “In weather like this one could do with a nice warm hat”, allows us as readers to picture why Fang, the forest animal, wanted to come back, imagining somewhere comfy and cozy. The irony in this story brings humor and allows the story to be more enjoyable. As the two beasts misunderstand one another, we are able to see the contrast between the two’s emotions. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book because it challenges the stereotype of having only one truth, as the author writes about the same event, yet there are two different perspectives.
December 5, 2025
There are those books that make you remember how much perspective can define a story, and this is the most imaginative one. In this book, a girl meets a small woodland creature in the forest and decides to take care of it, and the creature narrates the same tale but in his own perspective and views her actions totally differently. I also appreciated the way the author presented both sides without necessarily stating one as wrong or right, making the story seem fun and thought-provoking. Perspective-taking and empathy were the key themes in the book. Perspective-taking is represented in the fact that each character perceives the same events in different ways, and empathy is shown when the readers understand they need to listen to another person in their tale in order to understand their feelings. The primary style of this book is picture book fiction written with children in mind. Reading this book, children may get to know how important it is to think about the viewpoint of another person and why communication fails when people make assumptions and do not ask. It was a WOW book to me due to the structure of two chapters, which made the story interesting, and the twist, which is to listen to the voice of the creature made me re-evaluate the whole situation.
In this book, the writer applied several literary elements and other writing artistry. To begin with, the narration employed by the author was dual. One such writing skill is that the story's introduction is wholly told through the girl's voice, whereas the second half of the narrative retells the same occurrences through the creature's voice. This craft technique in the writing techniques made the book better as it depicted that various experiences can still be true, as it depends on the person telling the story. Second, the author made use of contrast. One such incident is the way the girl explains to herself that she is rescuing the creature, and the creature explains to her that he is kidnapped. The writing craft in this book made it better by prompting the reader to pay attention to the differences in emotion and to understand why the characters responded as they did. I would refer to this book as an anti-bias book as it persuades the readers to find more than one side of the issue, not to make assumptions, and to speak before judging. The author gave a perfect presentation of the anti-bias views by showing the misconceptions and praising the differences, and by demonstrating how such respect can change the way we look at one another.
In this book, the writer applied several literary elements and other writing artistry. To begin with, the narration employed by the author was dual. One such writing skill is that the story's introduction is wholly told through the girl's voice, whereas the second half of the narrative retells the same occurrences through the creature's voice. This craft technique in the writing techniques made the book better as it depicted that various experiences can still be true, as it depends on the person telling the story. Second, the author made use of contrast. One such incident is the way the girl explains to herself that she is rescuing the creature, and the creature explains to her that he is kidnapped. The writing craft in this book made it better by prompting the reader to pay attention to the differences in emotion and to understand why the characters responded as they did. I would refer to this book as an anti-bias book as it persuades the readers to find more than one side of the issue, not to make assumptions, and to speak before judging. The author gave a perfect presentation of the anti-bias views by showing the misconceptions and praising the differences, and by demonstrating how such respect can change the way we look at one another.
June 29, 2020
Okay, you all loved the perspective-taking, empathy-building book I recommended earlier this week, Room on Our Rock. Today, I’ve got another perspective-taking book that you’re going to want to check out: A Tale of Two Beasts, by Fiona Roberton.
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Part 1: A Tale of Two Beasts opens with a little girl walking home from grandma’s house, when she happens upon a strange little beast hanging upside down in a tree. She rescues him, brings him home, dresses him, gives him clothes and a cozy home-box, and desperately wants him to be happy. You can tell from the look on his face that he is not happy at all. In fact, when the girl opens the window to give him some fresh air, he jumps right through it and runs away! He reappears in her window a few nights later, and the two run and play together in the woods, old friends reunited.
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Part 2: An innocent little creature is relaxing in his favorite spot, hanging upside down from his favorite tree, when a strange big beast ambushes and kidnaps him! She forces him to take stinky baths, smushes him into uncomfortable clothes, feeds him disgusting food, and holds him prisoner in a cardboard box. When he sees an opening to escape, he takes it and runs… Until he remembers he left his hat behind and bravely returns to fetch it.
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Did you see what Roberton did? She’s told the exact same story from both the girl’s and the creature’s perspective! So incredibly clever! Roberton’s book gives adults a tangible way to talk to children about taking other’s perspective in events and therefore building the empathetic abilities.
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Take your time with the illustrations here, as subtle differences add to the varying perspectives on the same events. Adults might also get a kick out of the page where the girl’s mom makes her eat dinner, take a bath, and go to bed (much like she did to the little creature earlier in the story).
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A big thank you to Kane Miller Books for sharing this book with our family in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions of this book are my own.
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Part 1: A Tale of Two Beasts opens with a little girl walking home from grandma’s house, when she happens upon a strange little beast hanging upside down in a tree. She rescues him, brings him home, dresses him, gives him clothes and a cozy home-box, and desperately wants him to be happy. You can tell from the look on his face that he is not happy at all. In fact, when the girl opens the window to give him some fresh air, he jumps right through it and runs away! He reappears in her window a few nights later, and the two run and play together in the woods, old friends reunited.
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Part 2: An innocent little creature is relaxing in his favorite spot, hanging upside down from his favorite tree, when a strange big beast ambushes and kidnaps him! She forces him to take stinky baths, smushes him into uncomfortable clothes, feeds him disgusting food, and holds him prisoner in a cardboard box. When he sees an opening to escape, he takes it and runs… Until he remembers he left his hat behind and bravely returns to fetch it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Did you see what Roberton did? She’s told the exact same story from both the girl’s and the creature’s perspective! So incredibly clever! Roberton’s book gives adults a tangible way to talk to children about taking other’s perspective in events and therefore building the empathetic abilities.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Take your time with the illustrations here, as subtle differences add to the varying perspectives on the same events. Adults might also get a kick out of the page where the girl’s mom makes her eat dinner, take a bath, and go to bed (much like she did to the little creature earlier in the story).
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A big thank you to Kane Miller Books for sharing this book with our family in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions of this book are my own.
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