Maurice the Unbeastly by Amy Dixon October Book of the Month

I have chosen October's book of the month and this month it is a children's book that really caught my eye. Maurice the Unbeastly is the tale of Maurice, his parents are concerned because this beast is so photogenic, they really want him to start behaving improperly.

This little beastie has a sweet voice, enjoys green, organic snacks, and is ridiculously photogenic. So his concerned mama and papa send him to the Abominable Academy for Brutish Beasts to learn how to behave improperly. Will Maurice master roaring, messy meat eating, and scowling? Or will he prove that being a different kind of beast is a good thing after all?

This hilarious story begins as we are introduced to Maurice, a beast like no other. When someone says beast, a lot of us would automatically picture something like the beast from Beauty and the Beast, or perhaps the ogre from Shrek, something ugly, loud and terrifying.

Your child may be surprised when they get to know Maurice. He has a voice of an angel, he eats organic food and he looks a lot better than you and I in a photo. He definitely isn't your typical beast, he doesn't seem at all frightening and this is where the problem lies.

Maurice's parents are concerned because beasts should be shall we say far less civilised and a lot more terrifying.

Beasts roar! Beasts destroy! But not Maurice.

So poor Maurice is shipped off to the Abominable Academy for Brutish Beasts to learn a thing or two about destroying things, eating messily and posing hideously for photographs in the hopes that they can actually shatter the camera lenses.

The question is can Maurice change his ways and I guess the even bigger question is should he have to change if he doesn't want to?

I enjoyed this book just as much as my children. It is wonderfully illustrated with pictures that will have you laughing out loud even without reading the words. 

There is also a brilliant lesson to be learnt too, the idea of staying true to yourself. Yes it can be nice to fit in and standing out from the crowd can at times be hard but really it is better to be unique, to do what you want rather than what others are telling you to do.

When you hear the word beast mentioned in a title you don't imagine a book like Maurice the Unbeastly and I think that's a good thing because when you pick up the book and read the story you will be pleasantly surprised with a wonderfully sweet tale.