EVEN MONSTERS GET SICK

Zub looks like a bad bargain until his new young owner, Harry, realizes that the monster isn’t sad and boring but actually ill.

Resembling a big orange Wild Thing in the angular cartoon illustrations, Zub just lies about, groaning and dripping unusually gross-looking slime—until his young friend, with a flash of insight, calls upon his “Uncle Doctor Bob” for a house call (“Zub was nervous because some monsters are afraid to go to the doctor”) and learns that the creature has a cold. A little TLC and Zug and Harry are rocking out with Rock Hero, sharing ghost stories at Kid Camp and even setting out on a pirate treasure hunt. The options and interactive features are simple, smooth and satisfyingly varied. Fledgling readers can either tackle the first-person tale themselves or listen to an expressive child narrate over pleasant background music. A fingertip moves Harry and Zug through two easy mazes, elicits moans and cheers with taps, catapults cans of soup into the monster’s mouth, sets a frog band to playing a hornpipe and, after a closing hug, ignites fireworks in a nighttime sky.

Children with wheezles and sneezles of their own will sympathize with the droopy monster and perhaps feel a little less anxious about doctor visits, too.