Real Thief (1973) by William Steig

Authors

Gareth B. Matthews, University of Massachusetts AmherstFollow

Files

Description

First, it is rubies that disappear from the Royal Treasury, then gold ducats, then the famous Kalikak diamond. King Basil, the bear, suspects Gawain, the goose, the Chief Guard of the Royal Treasury, who is brought to trial, found guilty, and sentenced to prison. But the mouse, Derek, a friend of Gawain, is the real thief. What should he do now? The philosophical value of Steig’s story extends even beyond the opportunity it affords for discussing what makes something right. Since much of the story is written from the thief’s point of view, reading it is an exercise in the moral imagination. Steig’s story is that rarity among children’s books—an exploration of moral questions that manages to be exciting and serious, without ever being moralistic.

Publication Date

1983

Publisher

Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children

City

Montclair

Keywords

friendship, ethics, moral imagination, honesty

Disciplines

Education | Philosophy

Comments

This review was first published in Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children 4(3-4): 1, 1983.

Recommended Citation

Matthews, Gareth B., "Real Thief (1973) by William Steig" (1983). Chapter Books. 8.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/iapc_thinkingstories_chapterbooks/8