- Picture Books
- Ages 6–10
- Fables
The Fate of Fausto: A Painted Fable
Part of the Oliver Jeffers universeOpen the collection
A sharp, visually striking fable about greed, ownership and the natural world refusing to be possessed. It is darker and more satirical than many Jeffers picture books, best for slightly older children and adult-led discussion.
- Best for6–10
- FormatPicture
- Length96 pp
- Read aloud~19 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Literary
- Repetitive
- Comedic
Tone
- Thought provoking
- Dark
- Funny
- Whimsical
- Bittersweet
Themes
- Power and authority
- Consequences of actions
- Moral ambiguity
- Nature and environment
- Fairness and justice
- Responsibility
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Fausto believes the world belongs to him. He marches across the landscape declaring ownership over a flower, a sheep, a tree and eventually the sea itself. Some things politely agree, some resist, and Fausto grows angrier when the natural world does not behave as though it can be owned. Told with spare text and bold lithographic-style art, The Fate of Fausto is a modern painted fable about arrogance, greed and the limits of human control. It is funny in a dry, deadpan way, but the moral bite is sharper than in Jeffers' lighter comic books. The story invites conversation about ownership, nature, colonial attitudes, entitlement and consequences, while remaining simple enough on the surface for children to follow. Its unusual production and bold design also make it an especially strong gift book.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 6–10
- Read aloud · 5–10
- Independent · 7–11
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: death of character, violence.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
4 / 5 · Notable
Best for
- Modern fable
- Environmental discussion
- Gift book
- Visual design
- Older picture book
Avoid if
- Wants light funny read
- Very sensitive to death
- Bedtime only
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anxiety and worry
- Interested in science
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Oliver Jeffers' painted fable about a man who tries to own everything — a thought-provoking discussion text about greed, power and nature.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is the sea refusing — Fausto marching across the landscape claiming a flower, a sheep, a tree, the field, the forest, finally the sea, the sea declining to be owned. The Jeffers fable with a sharper bite than his comic books, for an older child ready for proper consequences.
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
The Jeffers painted fable — drawn on lithographic stones in oil, technically his most ambitious book. Greed-and-ownership parable with colonial undertones available for the conversation if you want them. Darker than his lighter work; strong gift-book object.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
About the author & illustrator
Oliver Jeffers.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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