LOVE MONSTER AND THE PERFECT PRESENT

What to give the one you love?

This follow-up to Love Monster (2013) shows the titular, loving little beastie trying to find the perfect present for the monster he thinks “is the most perfect monster in the world.” This gift-giving impulse is prompted by the coming of a very special day in Cutesville: “PRESENT DAY when everyone gives a lovely someone something lovely…to show how special they are.” Unfortunately, our hero cannot find anything that will do in his price range. In the light story’s bleakest moment, Love Monster sits, small and alone, on a darkened street; the text tells readers that “there was only one thing worse than a not-perfect present…and that was NO PRESENT AT ALL!” Happily, inspiration literally falls from above, and Love Monster ends up making a very special present, indeed, for his friend. Bright’s vibrant prints are made from plates etched with ultraviolet light, producing brightly colored pictures with bold, black outlines. The monsters’ world is a fully realized place that borders on twee but finds footing in delight.

The best gifts are those that come from the heart, and this book surely comes from Bright’s.