Beegu

Story

Beegu is an alien who crash-lands on our planet. All alone, she tries to find friendship and comfort but only the little people seem to understand her. Lost and lonely, an alienated alien, can Beegu find her way home again?

Why we chose it

A gentle story about how it feels to be somewhere new and strange and what it is to be lost. Beegu is an appealing character, much loved by young children.

Where it came from

Alexis Deacon was born in 1976 in London. He studied illustration at the University of Brighton and went on to become an author and illustrator of children’s books, often championing the outsider. In 2002, his first children’s book Slow Loris was published, followed shortly after by Beegu.

Where it went next

Beegu was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal and won the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award. In 2008, Alexis Deacon was named one of the ten best new illustrators by Booktrust.

Associated stories

Other children’s picture books by Alexis Deacon include A Place to Call Home (2011), Croc and Bird (2013), and I Am Henry Finch (2015).