Monstrously fun.
A different kind of monster-under-the-bed story.
As soon as brown-skinned Clara awakens, she cheerfully greets the cucuy (defined in the Spanish-language glossary as a monster) beneath her bed. Though most people are terrified of these creatures, Clara and her parents rescue and care for them. Today, for the first time, Clara will be joining Papi on a mission to rescue a cucuy from a woman’s basement. The woman is frightened of the monster, but Clara knows what to do. “You have to be fast…You have to be strong. You have to be observant,” she tells her parents before she and Papi set out. Although she feels prepared, the big purple cucuy is intimidating, and after Papi twists his ankle trying to wrap the cucuy in a blanket, Clara must step up to help. Her quick thinking ultimately soothes the cucuy. The creature accompanies Clara and Papi to their house, where it suddenly seems a lot smaller and where Clara adds another rule to her list: “Be kind.” Palacios’ cartoon-style illustrations will help readers decode the text while adding humor, especially in their characterizations of the sweetly strange cucuys. Fans of stories like Pixar’s Monsters Inc. or Mo Willems’ Leonardo the Terrible Monster will recognize familiar ground in how this offbeat but gentle story unfolds. Spanish is interspersed throughout, and Clara and her family are cued Latine.
Monstrously fun. (Early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
ISBN: 9780063371002
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
Gives “friend” a disquieting nuance.
On the spur of the moment, anyone can make a mistake.
In a twist on Eric Carle’s classic Do You Want to Be My Friend? (1971) and the many like-themed quests trailing in its wake, a suddenly friendless yellow monster makes the titular confession, mourns, and then goes in search of a new companion. Following a string of refusals that range from “No, you are too big,” and “No, you are too scary” (not to mention a terse “No”) to a terrifying, page filling “Rrrooar!” the monster begins to lose heart. Will it be lonely forever? But, no fears, a suitable (teal) candidate sidles up at last: “Hello! I will be your friend.” Cue the warm smiles and clasped paws…until a page turn reveals only the new arrival, guiltily admitting, “I just ate my friend.” Arranged in simple compositions and positioned for maximum comic effect, McKinnon’s monsters don’t look at all feral (although the protagonist does have a mouthful of sharp teeth, they are very tiny, commanding much less attention than its large, googly eyes and potato-shaped body), so the summary fate of the yellow one may come as a surprise (at least the first time through) to audiences who expect a more-conventional ending. Readers who prefer their comedy on the dark side à la Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back (2011) or Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross’ Tadpole’s Promise (2005) will relish this alternative outcome.
Gives “friend” a disquieting nuance. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: June 26, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5344-1032-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2018
It might be fun once, but Numeroff really holds a corner on this particular market.
If you give an imp a penny, he’ll ask for a glass of milk—er, a “coin bag” to go with it.
Shamelessly borrowed from the iconic If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (the authors thank Laura Numeroff in the dedication), this anemic reflection moves the story to a vaguely medieval and magical realm. The imp in question is orange and sort of pointy all over, and his fellow protagonist is a young white girl with long skirts and a snowy white apron. When he gets his penny and buries it in the yard with a borrowed shovel, he makes such a mess that she asks him to clean up. The imp sets the broom on fire, repairs it with straw from her mattress, and makes a collar for the cat—who does not take it, or the subsequent bath, well. But our heroine gives the imp her last apple, and he conjures up some gold coins in gratitude. That makes him think of his buried penny—and probably asking for another one. There’s not a lot of logic here: why would he even ask for a penny if he can conjure up treasure? The pictures have a quality of Disney animation about them, lively and familiar-looking without much verve.
It might be fun once, but Numeroff really holds a corner on this particular market. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4556-2144-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pelican
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
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