THE SCARY MONSTER

Pip and Posy are back in an oddly flat tale.

One rainy, boring day, Posy decides to bake some cupcakes, washing her hands, donning her apron and mixing up ingredients. While they are baking, a tap at the window and a big, blue, furry hand draw her attention. The suspense and fear ratchet up as there is a knock at the door, where a monster head is just visible. When the door opens, poor Posy dissolves into tears and hides behind the couch. But when she sees her good friend Pip’s feet protruding from the costume, she loses all her fears. Pip apologizes for scaring her and offers to let her try the costume. The two play, then break for a snack of cupcakes and milk. All’s well that ends well, but still, there is something off. The duo (a bunny and a mouse) are a strange mix of adult and child—Posy baking cupcakes all by herself, yet dragging around her stuffed frog and being reduced to tears of fright over the monster. Still, simple vocabulary and two or three short sentences per page make this a good choice for beginning readers, and Scheffler’s ink-and-gouache artwork is both bright and cute.

Not the best exploration of a friendly twosome—stick with Mr. Putter and Tabby or George and Martha.