Rotten Island

Reach for this book when your child is in a mood for mischief or when they feel like they do not fit the typical mold of being nice and polite. It is the perfect choice for the kid who loves monsters, mess, and the subversion of classic fairy tales. Rotten Island is a place where everything is delightfully disgusting and the creatures thrive on chaos until a single, beautiful flower threatens their way of life. At its heart, this is a story about how we perceive beauty and the fear of the unknown. William Steig uses his trademark wit and vibrant, jagged illustrations to explore how a community reacts when their world is turned upside down. It is an excellent tool for talking about how people (or monsters) handle change and the realization that something different can be both scary and transformative. It is best suited for children ages 4 to 8 who appreciate absurdist humor.