A MONSTER'S MEAL

A gaggle of iconic monsters meet up for an infamously awful dinner.

Ever thought of slurping down “black-bile soup with rusty chain-link croutons”? How about chewing on some “spiced frog legs over grilled tails of newt”? Or “thinly sliced bat wings and rotten radishes”? High atop Shark Tooth Cliff sits the Rotten Core Restaurant, where these dishes and many more are served. One by one, the Big Bad Wolf, a vampire, a mummy, and others tuck in. The illustration style is Edward Gorey meets Richard Scarry, with burning pops of fire-engine red table linen contrasting with stark white backgrounds. Silver dishes are uncovered (page flaps allow readers to flip them over for themselves) to reveal disgusting feasts, customized for each attendee by Chef Frankenfurter. The book’s pattern—a character is introduced, followed by a lavish description of the meal in question—is intriguing, and initially, readers will savor the sense of anticipation and the visual gags. The repetition soon wears thin, however, as the narrative drags on. The novelty of the tactile page flaps (geared toward younger kids) is at odds with the advanced vocabulary: garnish, gait. The witch has green skin; other humanoid characters are light-skinned.

An appetizing premise, but this is a niche spread.