From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Children will sympathize with Beegu, a cuddly, yellow extraterrestrial, when her spaceship crashes and strands her far from home. While looking for some friends, the lost alien thinks she hears her mother calling and is led into a big city where, instead, she finds a box of puppies that welcome her; she curls up with them to sleep. Then a man from the stray dog shelter finds her in the box and turns her out. Forced to continue her sad journey, Beegu comes upon a playground filled with happy children and joins them in play until another adult rejects her, sending her out once more to wander in the strange world. Finally, her parents arrive to rescue her and she tells them of her experiences, speaking fondly of the small Earth creatures who were so friendly and full of hope. The quirky, economical illustrations aptly reflect the lonely mood of this touching story. Beegu, with her floppy ears and three little eyes, is an appealing character who conveys a message about the importance of accepting those who are different and of remaining hopeful.
Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton,
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
PreS-Gr. 1. This book's raison d'etre is an endearing yellow alien named Beegu, who resembles a cross between a stuffed bunny and a three-eyed toddler in footie pajamas. Marooned on Earth after her flying saucer crashes, Beegu searches for help, her earlike appendages drooping in disappointment each time an unsympathetic adult sends her packing. At last she stumbles onto a playground, where welcoming children give her a hula hoop as a souvenir, and, more importantly, a positive impression of Earthlings to share with her parents when they finally return and beam her up for a joyful hug. Few words are used or needed, thanks to Deacon's clear visual storytelling: the way the textured, earth-toned backgrounds set off Beegu's bright-yellow form conveys her isolation more strongly than words. Beegu's experiences send a rather facile message about the sweetness of children versus the jaded self-absorption of grown-ups ("Earth creatures were mostly big and unfriendly, but there were some small ones who seemed hopeful"), but this drama of parental loss and reunion will resonate nonetheless. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"Children will sympathize with Beegu. . .quirky, economical illustrations aptly reflect the lonely mood of this touching story." --School Library Journal
"Deacon's simple text follows Beegu on her wanderings; skillful pacing incorporates full-bleed spreads plus panel and spot illustrations. . .The accomplished artwork underscores the children's easy acceptance of Beegu and highlights the book's uplifting message that acts of kindness have lasting effects." --Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Alexis Deacon recently graduated with an honors degree in illustration from the University of Brighton and now lives in London, England. Slow Loris, his first picture book, was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a quirky tale with an entertaining twist."
