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In this rollicking interpretation of “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” brightly colored, digitally created monsters à la Caldecott Medalist Ed Emberley's Big Scary Green one run amok, wriggling and roaring, stomping and twitching! The never-frightening creatures are rendered in eye-popping psychedelic colors against a flat black background and feature horns, antennae, claws, teeth and any number of eyes. It’s a family affair: The father-daughter pair cleverly interprets the text with lots of satisfying onomatopoeia and monstrous movements, while Rebecca Emberley's daughter, performing songwriter Adrian Emberley, provides an online version available for download. Monsters are instructed to snort and growl, smack their claws, stomp their paws, twitch their tails and perform other monster-appropriate activities on command, and it’s impossible not to picture young children dancing along to the dynamic beat, with glee. Not for a quiet storytime but great for nursery and school groups or lively one-on-one reading, this will be a favorite with adults and children alike, allowing for both imaginative play and a raucous but structured outpouring of energy. Roar roar! (Picture book. 2-6)
