THE MONSTER IN THE LAKE

A timid mallard is anxious about crossing a possibly monster-infested lake, but after overcoming his fear, he finds something surprising underwater.

Despite the legends, Eric’s three birdie buddies are insistent that the lake doesn’t harbor any monsters. Nah, there’s only “boring old fish and frogs.” But on the extra-tall pages divided horizontally and offering views both above and below the waterline, the observant fowl—and readers—have a different vantage point. What they see in the shadowy depths is fish and frogs fleeing. Enter the monster, a textured teal creature with horns and requisite sharp white teeth but who also sports a warm grin and dapper crimson chapeau. Leaving his friends blissfully unaware, Eric dives and explores a monster-ific world via an impressive gatefold. Inside is a grandiose underwater city cleverly constructed from human detritus where vibrantly colored, just-barely scary monsters cavort. Emboldened by his adventures, a newly self-assured Eric returns to his now-alarmed friends and reassures them that “there’s no monster in the lake,” a statement that leaves the tale on a curiously ambiguous note. Translated from Dutch, the wry narrative is told entirely in short, declarative lines of conversation. The contrast between the oblivious birds floating in stark white and Eric with the rainbow monster menagerie below is flawlessly deadpan. The book’s multilayered aerosol spray and acrylic paint illustrations are uniquely pleasing.

Here be monsters—and they are monstrously fun!