The Wild Beastie: A Tale from the Isle of Begg by Helen Kellock
"Far off the coast of Scotland, in a forgotten part of the sea, there is a secret island... home to many strange and wonderful creatures. Its name is the Isle of Begg."
One of those strange creatures was Bumple, but although she was strange she was not wild. In fact, she was frightened of the wild creatures and preferred to spend her days playing in her safe spot by the stream. Even her mother couldn't get her to venture further.
And then one day, with a great splash, one of those creatures landed in the water right in front of her. Even though it was strange, it seemed friendly enough, introducing itself as Little Mop. But when Bumple let Little Mop play with her special toy Peedie, Little Mop was not careful and Peedie floated off downstream.
What was Bumple to do? Stay in her safe place or try to rescue Peedie? Can she find the courage to go beyond her comfort zone?
This is a charming story to share with young readers, particularly those who are a little timid about stepping beyond the boundaries of what they know. With its subtle palette and soft lines, neither Bumple, Little Mop or the landscape they travel through poses any threat to the young child so both the book and its story are safe, even if the characters are needing their brave. There are those who will be more cautious like Bumple rather than carefree like Little Mop and so this is one to help them navigate uncertainty, take risks especially if it means someone else's safety, open their minds to new adventures knowing that they will find their way back to a place of safety and certainty, helping them understand that, at times, we all face feeling lost and unsure, and have to make decisions and have faith that we will be okay.
Perhaps, after sharing it, there can be a conversation about something the little one would like to do and then preparing a plan for them to achieve it. Who knows - like Bumple they might discover a little bit of wildness can be a LOT of fun!
Barbara Braxton