In less-skillful hands this offering would come across as saccharine, but Milgrim pulls it off with witty aplomb. Share with...
Interesting how being yourself is championed, yet at the same time, most kids are keenly aware of the pressure to fit in and not be too different. In this slim title, Milgrim pairs his brief text with hilarious illustrations to celebrate a charmingly diverse group of monsters.
Digital ink and pastels brighten the pages featuring creatures in a wide range of tropical hues popping against stark white backgrounds. Opposing traits are contrasted, but each is portrayed with humor and respect. “Some monsters are afraid” shows a large, pink, polka-dot monster clutching its tail and shouting “Aggggggggggh!” at the sight of a small, green worm. The following spread—“Some are not”—depicts a blue-and-purple, toddlerlike, snaggletoothed tyke smiling as it holds the worm in its hand. “Some monsters will eat anything” zooms in on a table filled with platters full of striped beetles and other squirmy, prickly foods about to be devoured by a lip-licking character. But turn the page, and both children and their parents will relate to the small monster taking a bare nibble off the tip of a pizza slice that has been plucked clean of any spice or extra topping: “Some are picky.” Whether monsters (or people) are talkative or quiet, love to dance or just watch, like it outside or prefer staying inside, all “are absolutely, positively, completely, perfectly wonderful… / just the way they are!”
In less-skillful hands this offering would come across as saccharine, but Milgrim pulls it off with witty aplomb. Share with a pack of monsters to spark conversations about individuality. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 9, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9519-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2013
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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