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Children's reading lists

10 inspiring books to teach tots about empathy

Beegu

Alexis Deacon's second picture book is as wonderfully fresh and inventive as his first

Beegu is not supposed to be on Earth. 
 
She is lost. She is a friendly little creature, but the Earth People don't seem very welcoming at all. However, so far she has only met the BIG ones. The little ones are a different matter . . .

This tale of an extraterrestrial is given depth and pathos by heart-twanging illustrations.

An absolute treasure, full of visual metaphor and riches which reveal themselves more and more at each reading

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

Alexis Deacon's atmospheric illustrations capture the pathos of being an outsider

Alexis Deacon is an outstanding young artist whose illustrations give 
extraordinary depth and meaning to a very simple story

Alexis Deacon graduated from the University of Brighton, where he studied Illustration, gaining a first class honours degree. Alexis Deacon was one of Booktrust's ten Best New Illustrators in 2008, and Beegu was a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year and shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Alexis lives in London.

Beegu is not supposed to be on Earth. She is lost. She is a friendly little creature, but the Earth People don't seem very welcoming at all. However, so far she has only met the BIG ones. The little ones are a different matter . . .

The Selfish Giant

The classic Oscar Wilde story is now beautifully illustrated and abridged by Alexis Deacon.

The timeless morality tale ... is simply but effectively retold in this superbly illustrated edition. The contrast between the apocalyptic desolation of the giant’s nightmarish isolation and the rich vitality of the restored, child-filled garden is dramatic and filled with telling detail, and the gradual realisation of the havoc he has wreaked makes the giant’s conversion quite moving. Easily understood by even the youngest of readers.

Deacon breathes new life into Wilde’s timeless fairytale in a stunning new abridged version of the classic

Alexis Deacon has interpreted, and enriched, this much-loved Oscar Wilde fairytale with stunning new illustrations. The transformation of the giant from selfish to caring is beautifully realised

Deacon has abridged the story here for early years children and his bold, atmospheric illustrations paint a memorable portrait of the dark and light shades of this timeless story which emphasises the power of love and the importance of sharing and forgiveness. 
Beautifully designed and produced, this marvellous adaptation is an ideal gift for all young readers.

Illustrator Alexis Deacon has been rightly praised for his beautiful drawings, and he has put his talents to good use by breathing life into Oscar Wilde’s timeless fairytale The Selfish Giant.

Oscar Wilde (Author) Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on 16 October 1854. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford. He later lived in London and married Constance Lloyd there in 1884. Wilde was a leader of the Aesthetic Movement. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was first published in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. He published a revised and expanded edition in 1891 in response to negative reviews which criticised the book’s immorality. Wilde became famous through of the immense success of his plays such as Lady Windemere's Fan (1892), An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). 
 
In 1985, after a public scandal involving Wilde's relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas, he was sentenced to two years' hard labour in Reading Gaol for 'gross indecency'. His poem The Ballad of Reading Gaol was based on his experiences in prison and was published in 1898. After his release, Wilde never lived in England again and died in Paris on 30 November 1900. He is buried in Père Lachaise cemetery. Alexis Deacon (Illustrator) Alexis Deacon graduated from the University of Brighton, where he studied Illustration, gaining a first class honours degree. Alexis Deacon was one of Booktrust's ten Best New Illustrators in 2008, and Beegu was a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year and shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Alexis lives in London.

The Selfish Giant has a beautiful garden, but he won't let any of the children play in it. Winter comes and never leaves, until the power of love brings Spring and joy into the Giant's garden and his heart...

Alexis Deacon

Side by side on the sand sat two eggs. With a crack and a rip, the brothers hatch, and out comes a bird and a ... crocodile! But they can't be brothers - can they?

Alexis Deacon

Croc and Bird

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