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MY FRIEND THE MONSTER

Name: MY FRIEND THE MONSTER
Author: Eleanor Taylor
ISBN: 978-1-59990-232-6

by Eleanor Taylor & illustrated by Eleanor Taylor ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2008

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Young Louis finds a big, shaggy surprise in the family’s new house. The fox family spends a good deal of time cleaning and sprucing up before spending its first night. Louis runs around all the empty rooms, shouting “Boo!” before settling into his comfy new bed—but a noise under it awakens him. (Taylor’s accompanying illustration shows an enormous furry green monster filling the entire beneath-the-bed space, and then some.) After the grinning one-eyed giant shares his tale of woe at being displaced by the new residents, Louis befriends him: “Thank you, Louis! Nobody has ever noticed me before,” he says gratefully. The deadpan narrative proceeds; it takes a little longer for Louis’s playmates to warm to the monster, but eventually they do. And when the pair comes home from the park, they find that the fox family has welcomed the monster by building him a bed, right across the room from Louis’s. Taylor’s tale is just about average, but her adorable monster is a winner. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-59990-232-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2008

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A YEAR IN NATURE
by Hazel Maskell ; illustrated by Eleanor Taylor

- BOOK REVIEW
SECRETS OF THE SEA
by Kate Baker ; illustrated by Eleanor Taylor

- BOOK REVIEW
HALF A CREATURE FROM THE SEA
by David Almond ; illustrated by Eleanor Taylor

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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)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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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)