Home › Find a book › Beegu
BeeguAlexis Deacon
Beegu
by Alexis Deacon
A small yellow alien is stranded on Earth and nobody will listen to her, except a class of infants who understand her perfectly.
A story about magical creatures and children, gentle and moving in tone. We would put it with children of 4–7, and at a reading age of about 6 for reading alone.
Nothing flagged
We have not flagged any content in this one that a parent would usually want warning about.
Our take on this book
Beegu, a small yellow alien with long ears, is stranded on Earth when her spaceship crashes, and wanders a big grey world looking for someone to be kind to her — finding that only the children, and some puppies, really understand. Alexis Deacon's picture book is quietly extraordinary: with very few words and soft, smudgy, expressive illustrations, it captures loneliness and the search for belonging in a way that lands gently but deeply with young children. Beegu's bafflement at an unwelcoming world, and the moments of warmth she does find, make it both a little sad and finally hopeful. There is nothing frightening in it, only a tender melancholy that lifts by the end. For a three- to six-year-old it is a lovely, thoughtful read-aloud about kindness to a stranger and the comfort of being wanted — and a subtle way in to talking with a child about welcome, difference and looking out for someone who is lost.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
The Way Back HomeOliver Jeffers
The Colour of HomeMary Hoffman
The SnowmanRaymond Briggs
Biscuit BearMini Grey
How to Catch a StarOliver Jeffers
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.