HARRY (THE MONSTER)

by Ann Cameron ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1980

As pictured, Harry the monster is one more tamed and cuddly-softened Wild Thing; this, plus the basic idea of the story--a little monster afraid of people--recalls the Crowe/Chorao Clyde Monster (1976). Cameron takes Harry through a typical day--from mud and shoes for breakfast to a monster pie made of soft rocks, bubble gum, and glue--and leaves him at bedtime, momentarily frightened by the possible existence of ""little people without purple hair."" Then she shifts to ""the other side of the woods,"" where a group of small people (all children, none with purple hair) decide to go monster hunting. They end up in Harry's cave, but are scared away when a frightened Harry jumps out of bed to rescue his pet frog from their clutches. Whereupon Harry goes on living as before, confident that the people will never return. But why switch to the children's viewpoint only to send them packing for Harry's glory? And why trot out such a derivative monster only to leave him as we found him? A dud.

Pub Date: March 1, 1980

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Pantheon

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1980

Categories: CHILDREN'S