LITTLE MONSTER SAYS GOODNIGHT

A very unusual sleepy-time sendoff.

“Momster” is preparing Little Monster for bed. First, she serves a yummy treat: sour milk and burnt cookies. Before hitting the hay, Little Monster lets out the family’s pet giant tarantula. Then comes a warm mud bath, though Little Monster forgets to crumple up the “filthy towel” so it can fester on the floor and must be reminded to “leave disgusting glops of fangpaste all over the place.” Kids will relate to the other familiar nighttime rituals that follow, all with hilarious tweaks. Little Monster and Momster literally devour their favorite storybooks, and a thirsty Little Monster sips water from a fishbowl. Asked to check for monsters under the bed, Little Monster’s other parent happily responds, “Found one!” and tells the little one to think of “something scary” to guarantee a bad dream. This may not be the best book to read aloud right before bedtime, because children will be chuckling too heartily to fall asleep while delightedly comparing their bedtime routines to Little Monster’s. Kids will also enjoy seeing the warm relationship between Little Monster and the parents, who make bedtime pleasant and comforting. The goofy, thick-lined illustrations feature an endearing Little Monster and a winsome, decidedly unscary pair of monster parents, all of whom are reminiscent of Maurice Sendak’s Wild Things, with the cuteness of Sesame Street characters.

Monstrously appealing storytime fun.