A Tale of Two Beasts

Topics: Perspective, Point of View, Conflict Resolution, Writing Connection

Grade: 2nd

Why I Love This Book: I love this book because it is unique in that it tells the same story from two different perspectives. A raccoon is found in the woods by a little girl, taken to the girl's home, fed, clothed, and given toys. The little girl first tells the story from her point of view, rescuing the poor beast. Then, the raccoon tells the story as if he was captured by a terrible beast! It's a great illustration to begin noticing that we all see the world through our own point of view and interpret things based on our own past and present experiences. It's also a great jumping point to conflict resolution where we must begin to see things from other people's point of view. In second grade the students are working primarily on narrative writing, but this book could also be used to push them out of the comfort of their own narrative writing and encourage them to begin writing from a character's perspective.