FRANK THE MONSTER

While undergoing a mysterious transformation, a lonely, bookish boy sees his home with new eyes.

Frank Steen has just turned 9; he has few friends, so he celebrates with his family, his elderly neighbor, and her dog Woof, who uncharacteristically bites Frank when offered a piece of cake. A week later, Frank dreams that he’s a shaggy, scampering animal roaming the woods—only to awaken to muddy paw prints beside his bed. After reading up on the supernatural, he deems himself a “werewoof” (rather than ripping people apart like a werewolf, he just wants tummy rubs). But he realizes that the adults, who have heard rumors of bizarre creatures plaguing the town, see his werewoof form as terrifying, even dangerous. A violent encounter with humans on a local beach leads him to discover a clandestine monster meetup at his local library, a place where his monster-self might finally belong. Though many stories use lycanthropy to explore the trials of coming of age, this Swedish import holds its own in a crowded field. Strandberg’s well-crafted small-town setting and suspenseful pacing draw readers in, while his quietly matter-of-fact prose, speckled with satisfying detail, expresses Frank’s frustration, alienation, and even rage—feelings his young audience will recognize. In Falkenhem’s spooky-cute illustrations, Frank is dark-haired and pale-skinned, while the townspeople vary in skin tone.

An invigorating take on a well-worn paranormal trope.