Monstrously appealing storytime fun.
A very unusual sleepy-time sendoff.
“Momster” is preparing Little Monster for bed. First, she serves a yummy treat: sour milk and burnt cookies. Before hitting the hay, Little Monster lets out the family’s pet giant tarantula. Then comes a warm mud bath, though Little Monster forgets to crumple up the “filthy towel” so it can fester on the floor and must be reminded to “leave disgusting glops of fangpaste all over the place.” Kids will relate to the other familiar nighttime rituals that follow, all with hilarious tweaks. Little Monster and Momster literally devour their favorite storybooks, and a thirsty Little Monster sips water from a fishbowl. Asked to check for monsters under the bed, Little Monster’s other parent happily responds, “Found one!” and tells the little one to think of “something scary” to guarantee a bad dream. This may not be the best book to read aloud right before bedtime, because children will be chuckling too heartily to fall asleep while delightedly comparing their bedtime routines to Little Monster’s. Kids will also enjoy seeing the warm relationship between Little Monster and the parents, who make bedtime pleasant and comforting. The goofy, thick-lined illustrations feature an endearing Little Monster and a winsome, decidedly unscary pair of monster parents, all of whom are reminiscent of Maurice Sendak’s Wild Things, with the cuteness of Sesame Street characters.
Monstrously appealing storytime fun. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9781797216652
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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