YUCK! THAT’S NOT A MONSTER!

What’s up with the fluffy pink baby monster? One stormy night, the three speckled eggs that Mr. and Mrs. Monster have been tending so lovingly are finally ready to hatch. The first egg cracks, and out climbs an ugly green monster with prickly spikes and snarly fangs; they name him Frightful. Next comes a purple monster with horny spines and bristly warts; she’s named Horrid. And the third...is soft and pink like cotton candy. All the Monsters are aghast. They almost throw him in the trash, but the sweetness of the baby monster earns him a reprieve, and they name him Little Shock. Little Shock doesn’t fit in with the other forest creatures either, until an enormous scary monster threatens all, and Shock sends him fleeing in confusion with...a kiss. Edgson’s bright illustrations make even the scary monsters adorable, and Little Shock does, in fact, resemble cotton candy, with perfectly round blue eyes, two stubby horns and a couple of itty-bitty fangs. All together, they render McAllister’s cute fable about kindness even cuter. (Picture book. 3-5)