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THE MONSTER NEXT DOOR

Name: THE MONSTER NEXT DOOR
Author: David Soman
ISBN: 978-0-525-42783-4

by David Soman ; illustrated by David Soman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 2016

Listeners should absorb the book’s elegantly executed common sense like a sponge.

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An attack of peevishness is defused with a change in perspective.

A Boy, dark-haired, golden-skinned, and almond-eyed, has built a treehouse in a field. It is stocked with the usual: a kazoo, a spyglass, a potted sunflower, a galvanized tub full of festive water balloons. Then a Monster—a purple one with a wide grin and narwhal tusks sticking out of its head—builds a treehouse next door. They become friends even if they can’t communicate all that well at first. “Why did the chicken cross the road?” asks the Boy. “BURLAP!” replies the Monster. The Boy plays a few notes on his kazoo. The Monster responds with a great, rolling blat from a sousaphone, which annoys the Boy. They hurl insults—“Slithey tove!” “Turtle neck!”—engage in a furious water-balloon fight (“And so it went”; from Lewis Carroll to Kurt Vonnegut), then beat retreats. Only when the Boy goes to deliver a friendship-ending note to the Monster’s treehouse (which is empty of Monster, who is guess where?) does he begin to consider that the Monster likes loud music but is a fun neighbor otherwise. The notes hit are those in the keys of empathy and diplomacy, ably supported by gentle, mixed-media illustrations that vary sequential panels, vignettes, and expansive, double-page spreads. Give a little, take a sousaphone.

Listeners should absorb the book’s elegantly executed common sense like a sponge. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-525-42783-4

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S PARANORMAL & SUPERNATURAL

- BOOK REVIEW
IT TAKES A FAMILY TO SERVE
by Lisa Wheeler ; illustrated by David Soman

- BOOK REVIEW
ELVIS & ROMEO GO TO DOG SCHOOL
by Jacky Davis & David Soman ; illustrated by David Soman

- BOOK REVIEW
ELVIS & ROMEO
by Jacky Davis & David Soman ; illustrated by David Soman

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THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2014

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...

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Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.

First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.

Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BYE BYE, BUTTERFLY
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
NO MOUSIE LEFT BEHIND
developed by Ashley Spires ; adapted by Naseem Hrab ; illustrated by Mike Shiell

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT MAKER'S A TO Z
by Ashley Spires ; illustrated by Ashley Spires

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)