Lost Beast, Found Friend

Among an island village lives a girl named Keelee who spends her days picking fruit to feed her community. While bored working one day, she tosses fruit near her gathering basket and accidentally hits a purple, fuzzy beast who lets out a “Roar!” With a goose egg growing on Beast’s head, Keelee offers him some fruit to eat and decides that as Beast’s new friend, she should accompany him across the island to help him find his way home. They climb hills and sleep under the stars until they reach Beast’s home “where baby beasts and flowers grew.” With a goodbye from Keelee, she returns home and sees Beast soon enough as he comes to play. Kennedy’s cohesive and confident illustrations boast lush jungle landscapes, vibrant skies, and interesting characters with a slightly prehistoric, yet magical feel and wonderful facial expressions. While the story itself isn’t substantial and contains questionable elements—such as how Keelee knew where Beast lived or why it took them so long to get Beast home, yet it’s only a short visit to come and play later—and the flow of the text contains some near rhymes, the story feels cheerful and sweet. The illustrations truly shine and elevate this otherwise bland tale of friendship.