
22/09/2025
📖✨ Book Review: The Red Beast by K.I. Al-Ghani
The Red Beast is a well-known children’s story that helps explain the feelings of anger and frustration many children, particularly autistic children, may experience. The book uses the metaphor of a “Red Beast” to describe how anger grows and how strategies can be used to calm it.
While this book has been valuable for opening conversations about emotional regulation, we do want to highlight that some of the language used to describe autism feels outdated and should be adapted during reading. This provides an opportunity for thoughtful discussion, where families and educators can use updated, respectful language that better reflects our current understanding of autism.
It’s also important to note that one page depicts a child being captured by teachers and placed in a room alone. This does not reflect current best practice. In our discussions, we talk instead about how children can calm with the support of trusted adults in a safe and nurturing space, rather than in isolation.
🌟 Why we still find it useful:
Provides a clear and relatable metaphor for anger (“the Red Beast”)
Opens up opportunities for children to identify and talk about their feelings
Encourages use of calming strategies
Sparks important conversations about emotions, autism, and respectful support
Overall, The Red Beast can still be a valuable tool when used thoughtfully, with space for discussion and clarification. It’s best read together with an adult, so children can process the story, reflect on strategies for calming, and hear updated language around autism and regulation.
⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (3/5) — Recommended with thoughtful adult guidance.