by R.L. Stine ; illustrated by Marc Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 25, 2015
Readers are sure to visit this shop again and again for its fantastical creatures and its slightly sinister tone.
Two proven masters combine talents to produce a deliciously creepy mock-horror picture book.
Stine, of Goosebumps fame, and Brown, of the popular Arthur series, challenge readers before the title page. “Pssssst…HEY, YOU! Are you afraid of MONSTERS? Do they make you SHIVER and SHAKE and shut your eyes really tight at night? / If you think you’re brave enough, then come with me.” A boy and a girl look in the window of the Little Shop of Monsters. The merchandise looks like an innocuous, ragtag bunch of rather friendly creatures, but the intrusive narrator delivers ominous warnings: “I hope they don’t break the glass, jump out, and EAT you.” Within the store, the girl looks to be the brave one, while the boy seems alarmed or at least wary. Caged monsters with arms outstretched and mouths in smiles (or perhaps evil grins) greet them. Their tour through the shop finds them face to face with a series of goofy monsters with silly, unthreatening names like Tina-Not-Ticklish. Brown uses colored pencils, watercolor, spray paint, and gouache in double-page spreads to show hulking, sometimes wild, but never terrifying monsters, while the text tries to convince readers that these are a fierce and threatening group. After all, “when you come to the Little Shop of Monsters, you don’t CHOOSE a monster… / A MONSTER CHOOSES YOU!”
Readers are sure to visit this shop again and again for its fantastical creatures and its slightly sinister tone. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-316-36983-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
Share your opinion of this book
More by R.L. Stine
BOOK REVIEW
by R.L. Stine
BOOK REVIEW
by R.L. Stine
BOOK REVIEW
by R.L. Stine ; illustrated by David SanAngelo
by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 23, 2022
Chilling in the best ways.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
15
Our Verdict
GET IT
Kirkus Reviews'
Best Books Of 2022
New York Times Bestseller
When a young rabbit who’s struggling in school finds a helpful crayon, everything is suddenly perfect—until it isn’t.
Jasper is flunking everything except art and is desperate for help when he finds the crayon. “Purple. Pointy…perfect”—and alive. When Jasper watches TV instead of studying, he misspells every word on his spelling test, but the crayon seems to know the answers, and when he uses the crayon to write, he can spell them all. When he faces a math quiz after skipping his homework, the crayon aces it for him. Jasper is only a little creeped out until the crayon changes his art—the one area where Jasper excels—into something better. As guilt-ridden Jasper receives accolade after accolade for grades and work that aren’t his, the crayon becomes more and more possessive of Jasper’s attention and affection, and it is only when Jasper cannot take it anymore that he discovers just what he’s gotten himself into. Reynolds’ text might as well be a Rod Serling monologue for its perfectly paced foreboding and unsettling tension, both gentled by lightly ominous humor. Brown goes all in to match with a grayscale palette for everything but the purple crayon—a callback to black-and-white sci-fi thrillers as much as a visual cue for nascent horror readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Chilling in the best ways. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6588-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Share your opinion of this book
More by Aaron Reynolds
BOOK REVIEW
by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Cam Kendell
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Aaron Reynolds ; illustrated by Cam Kendell
More About This Book
PERSPECTIVES
by Ashley Belote ; illustrated by Ashley Belote ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 4, 2023
A spellbinding tale that encourages readers to accept—and celebrate—what makes us different.
A bespectacled young witch longs for a cat but ends up with something unexpected.
Though Wilma is excited for her first feline pet, when she goes to the Beast Buddies Pet Shop there are no more cats; instead, she is offered a wombat. She begrudgingly takes the dumpy, snoozy chum but worries: “Everyone else brings cats to school. Cats have been friends to witches for centuries. What a cat-tastrophe!” Unfortunately, Wombat is afraid of heights, which makes mastering Broom-Flying Basics a challenge; can’t perch on the edge of a cauldron during Brewing Potions for Beginners; and doesn’t stay in the required spell boundary zone, causing a spell to go disastrously wrong. Wilma is so frustrated she wishes Wombat would disappear. And Wombat does just that—by burrowing deep into the ground. Sprinkled with wombat facts (Wilma’s remembering that wombat scat is cube-shaped helps her follow a trail of poop to find her pal), this is a winning testament to true friendship. Wilma sets aside her assumptions of what a witch’s companion should look like and realizes just how wonderful Wombat truly is. This is a not-so-spooky tale perfect for Halloween and beyond. Wilma has bluish-black hair and pale skin among a diverse class. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A spellbinding tale that encourages readers to accept—and celebrate—what makes us different. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 4, 2023
ISBN: 9780593569634
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
Share your opinion of this book
More by Ashley Belote
BOOK REVIEW
by Ashley Belote ; illustrated by Ashley Belote
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.