Vegetarian, Melodious, and Neat - not your typical Beast.

Summary:

Mama and Papa are worried. Maurice is a Beast. He should roar (not sing) and be messy (not neat and tidy). He didn't want his parents to see him as a failure, so he packed his back and headed to the Abominable Academy for Brutish Beasts. Other beasts were becoming more beastly, but Maurice wasn't progressing (at least according to the notes Headmaster sent to his parents). Then one day, a creature came into their classroom. For everything the other beasts tried, the creature met them skill-for-skill. Now it was Maurice's turn to try to capture the creature. What could he do that would work?


Parent Perspective:
First, Maurice is one adorable monster. He is beastly enough but cute enough that kids will connect with him. The wordplay is great and the antics of the beasts will hit all the funny bones. The "creature" is instantly recognizable and will have kids laughing, as well. 

Maurice the Unbeastly would have been an instant hit in our house, and even now, I have read it (to myself) several times. There are lessons for parents and kiddos alike. Young readers might not be able to label "guilt," but that is exactly what Maurice explains when he says she doesn't want to disappoint his family. Perfect opportunity to talk about how much you love your kids just the way they are - and extend the life of this book to middle schoolers!


Reader Enjoyment Factors:

Humor, wordplay, and an adorable vegetarian beast give readers a wonderful story and life lessons, too. 

Content Awareness Factors:

None. 


Type of Book:
This picture book story is about not just being yourself, but staying true to yourself.
Educational Themes:

It is easy to focus on "be yourself," as the main lesson, but this is also a story about being true to yourself. Maurice didn't try to become like the other Beasts. He tried to apply his talents to the task/class at hand. 

There are some unusual and wonderful words that can be fun to explore with younger readers: gargantuan, photogenic, organic, gruff, melodious, confiscate, among others. These are words that heard in context will be easy for kids to define. Give them that chance!! It builds vocabulary. 

Reading Level:
3.4
Recommended Age To Read By Yourself:
9 and Up
Recommended Age To Read Together:
4 and Up
Purchase Recommendation:
Buy! This is great for young kids, but will also be a perfect gift for preteens who are struggling to figure out who they are and how they fit in!

Title Maurice the Unbeastly
Author Amy Dixon
Publisher Sterling Children's Books, Imprint Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. © 2017
Illustrators Karl James Mountford
ISBN 9781454919537
Material Hard Cover
Cost $16.95
Genres Family, Growing Up
Reminder: Cover images, amazon.com and indiebound.org links are affiliate links. The Reading Tub can earn income via purchases made via these links. 100% of any income goes directly to our literacy mission.

You May Also Like...

Check out these books you may also like

BOOK REVIEW

Author
Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Publisher
Candlewick Press, Walker Books Group © 2016
ISBN
9780763670849

BOOK REVIEW

Author
Kevan Atteberry
Publisher
Katherine Tegen Books, Imprint HarperCollins Publishers © 2015
ISBN
9780062307835

BOOK REVIEW

Author
Jory John
Publisher
Harper, Imprint HarperCollins Publishers © 2019
ISBN
9780062866004
Cybils

BOOK REVIEW

Author
Andrea Zuill
Publisher
Sterling Children's Books, Imprint Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. © 2018
ISBN
9781454926849
Cybils

BOOK REVIEW

Author
Richard Torrey
Publisher
Sterling Children's Books, Imprint Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. © 2017
ISBN
9781454921233