The Wild Beastie: A Tale from the Isle of Begg

The Wild Beastie is all about friendship, embracing challenges and the importance of outdoor play for young children. ~The Sunday Post (Inverness)

The watercolour illustrations in this book are glorious. Inspired by the author-illustrator’s visit to the Isle of
Skye, they capture the beautiful colour and light of that area of Scotland. Bumple is a “wild beastie” (I love that phrase) from the Isle of Begg, though she’s a little nervous to stray too far across the island... This is a lovely, gentle story of stepping outside your comfort zone with a friend at your side, and the joy to be found in the wild. As Bumple comes to realise, we’re sometimes capable of more than we think, and that’s always nice to remember.

~Juno Magazine

A lovely, magical tale showing how stepping out of your comfort zone and discovering that letting yourself go and trying a bit of wildness can be a whole lot of fun. From endpaper to endpaper, the watercolour illustrations are a marvellous mix of playfulness and beauty. ~Red Reading Hub

This is a book for younger children who might be a bit wary of stepping out into the world and who need to be convinced that there’s fun to be had by taking a few chances and making some new friends. Growing up is about problem solving and that can’t be done without sometimes going into territory you’re not familiar with – and meeting people you don’t already know. ~The Letterpress Project

A magical tale about facing your fears and being brave enough to embrace a bit of wildness: sometimes expanding your boundaries brings rewards you’d never dreamed of. Helen Kellock’s ending leaves the way open for further adventures set in this beautiful Isle of Begg that are so alluringly depicted in her watercolour illustrations. ~Books for Keeps