A gentle monster story for the very young, appropriate for Halloween or any time.
Happiness is being exactly who you are.
The monster in this breezy LEGO tale would agree. Its plight, as it admits to a passing human minifigure, is that it fears it’s “an embarrassment to monsters everywhere” because it doesn’t always want to be scary. Sometimes it wants to be happy, sad, grumpy, silly, or funny, but it believes it must always be frightening. As its new pal explains succinctly, it’s perfectly fine for it to be any kind of monster and express all sides of its personality when it feels like it—including the fearsome side. After all, the human toy reasons, “You are a MONSTER. Who is going to stop you?” This cute, humorous story aims to reassure readers that emotions aren’t one-dimensional; it’s OK to display one’s varied, true feelings. Aside from the positive, empowering message, readers’ attention will be captured by vividly colored illustrations featuring bold outlines and onomatopoeic sound effects. Some art is set in colored panels; plenty of white space focuses attention on the sweet characters. The engaging dialogue is set in white type within colored speech balloons. As LEGO fans will recognize, the minifigure is a small, smiling, brown-haired, yellow-skinned toy garbed in red shirt and blue slacks. The monster is taller, composed of various bricks, and endowed with large, expressive eyes; as the story proceeds, its eyes reveal its personality shifts.
A gentle monster story for the very young, appropriate for Halloween or any time. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-36082-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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
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