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MONSTER AND BOY

From the Monster and Boy series , Vol. 1

No need to be afraid of monsters after reading this sweet and unusual friendship story.

A boy discovers that monsters are real—and that one lives under his bed.

The monster and the boy—no names given—share a bedroom, but they have never met. The monster is nocturnal and has lived under the boy’s bed for many years; he knows the sound of the boy’s voice and loves the smell of his dirty socks. One night the boy’s mother reads her son a book about monsters, and she tells him that there is no such thing as monsters. Knowing this is untrue, the monster decides to introduce himself. Predictably, this doesn’t go as well as the monster expects, and when the boy screams, the monster swallows him in a panic. This is distressing for both the monster (who just lost his only friend) and the boy (who now finds himself trapped inside a stomach). Eventually the monster coughs the boy out—only to discover the boy is now grasshopper-sized. Humor ensues. In archly amusing fashion, the author breaks the fourth wall—this is marked by teal-colored page backgrounds—reassuring readers during potentially scary parts of the book, filling in background details, or collegially including them in aspects of the storytelling. Teal-flecked grayscale cartoons appear on almost every page, making this a solid choice for new independent readers. As depicted on the cover, the boy has tightly coiled brown curls and pink skin.

No need to be afraid of monsters after reading this sweet and unusual friendship story. (Fantasy. 6-9)

Pub Date: July 28, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-250-21783-7

Page Count: 144

Publisher: Godwin Books

Review Posted Online: April 7, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020

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DINOS ARE FOREVER

From the Adventures of Jo Schmo series , Vol. 1

Lighter-than-air superhero fun.

The wacky origin story of a fourth-grade girl superhero from the author of the Melvin Beederman, Superhero series.

Jo Schmo's normal life of skateboards and crushes is cast aside with the arrival of a mysterious package from her Uncle George (who is actually her mother's second cousin, once removed on account of being stinky). Ready to retire from his life as a superhero, Uncle George bequeaths his cape to Jo so that she may take up the calling. But she's a little girl, and the cape is too long—the piece Grandpa Joe cuts off makes a perfect cape for her loyal dog and now sidekick, Raymond. The cape gives the duo superpowers—strength for Jo and heroic amounts of drool for Raymond. Luckily, Jo has a capable mentor in Grandpa Joe, a retired sheriff. But soon they must face the mad scientist, super-villain Dr. Dastardly, and his latest invention for evil: the Re-animator Laminator. The zany writing wavers between slapstick and tongue-in-cheek. The edge is taking off the fighting part of crime-fighting through silly attack names like "Russian Toe Hold" and "Siberian Ear Tweak." Dormer's movement-oriented illustrations complement the fast pace of the story and suit the comical tone, as well.

Lighter-than-air superhero fun. (Adventure. 6-9)

Pub Date: July 3, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-547-76341-5

Page Count: 112

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: April 24, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2012

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PIGSTICKS AND HAROLD AND THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

From the Pigsticks and Harold series , Vol. 1

It’s funny, but as a book for beginning readers—which it’s billed as—it misses the mark.

When Pigsticks, a pig with wanderlust, teams up with Harold the hamster, anything can happen.

Pigsticks wants to be just like his ancestor, Col. Pigslet, who traveled to the Ends of the Earth. Unlike the colonel, Pigsticks intends to make it back alive. But he needs an assistant and interviews just about everyone in Tuptown; alas, no one is worthy. And then he meets Harold, who is convinced to join the trip with the promise of three cakes as payment. Silliness ensues as the two make the seemingly never-ending trek through jungles and up mountains and into avalanches to the Ends of the Earth. Humorous cartoon illustrations appear on most pages and extend the text, adding to the chuckles. One especially funny picture shows Harold being squeezed by a boa constrictor while the text remarks, “he wasn’t having quite so much fun.” The story needs the humor. Many very challenging words (“Battenburg,” “persuasive,” “intrepid,” “ravine,” “evasive maneuvers” “ascent,” “unconvinced”) make this a stiff read, even for confident emergent readers. Most pages contain just a few sentences, but a few are so filled with words that many children will be left frustrated. 

It’s funny, but as a book for beginning readers—which it’s billed as—it misses the mark. (Early reader. 6-9)

Pub Date: May 27, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-7636-6615-6

Page Count: 84

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2014

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