LITTLE MONSTER DID IT!
by Helen Cooper & illustrated by Helen Cooper
Amy says, ``I liked it best with just us three, only Mom and Dad and me.'' Now a baby brother has intruded upon the scene. Luckily, Little Monster, a stuffed animal Amy received when her mother went to the hospital, doesn't like the baby either, and engineers a series of noisy, messy ``accidents'' to make his feelings known. Warm watercolors show Amy and Little Monster as irrepressible partners in crime until Amy starts to take care of the new baby. Little Monster's antics take on a life of their own, growing more outrageous than ever. Peace is only achieved when Little Monster moves in with the baby. Cooper's book is not quite as effective as the wonderfully understated Ellen and Penguin and the New Baby (1996) by Clara Vulliamy, but it's in the same league, standing out from the pack of sibling rivalry books on the strength of the appealing artwork, Amy's conflicting feelings, and a great twist at the end. (Picture book. 3-7)