AMY'S MONSTER

As seen on the first page, Amy is quite capable of mischief; but when her mother packs her off to visit her twin cousins, she almost meets her match. Jocasta and Meredith are ``very clever, very tall for their age, and never got into trouble. But when no one was looking they did mean things with fingernails and rubber bands.'' They terrorize Amy with tales of a monster under the bed, but by the second night—when the story suddenly takes a turn into fantasy—Amy has peeked under the bed, found the monster (``Hepzibah''), and made friends with it. Her brash cousins are appropriately impressed and subdued. Bizarre but amiable-looking Hepzibah is an effective metaphor for the qualities that would indeed earn the respect of the daunting cousins—especially as seen in Denton's vividly expressive illustrations. An unusual variation on a popular theme; vulnerable-looking Amy proves to be commendably assertive and resourceful. (Picture book. 3-8)