by Maria Davenza Tillmanns (Author), Blair Thornley (Illustrator)
Our most nuanced skills for communication were lost when we lost our tails, so the story goes.
Huk and Tuk explore ways we can compensate for this loss, by telling stories -- tales -- through polyphonic listening and by entering into dialogue to create a new, deeper understanding of ourselves and the world we live in.
Doing philosophy with children inspired Maria deVenza Tillmanns to recreate the bonds of meaningful communication in the writing of this whimsical, playful story. Philosophy should make us -- children and adults -- re-think what we think we know and push the boundaries of accepted practices. Hopefully, it will also make us laugh about taking things too seriously.