While the book may prove a frustrating search-and-find experience for little ones, youngsters will enjoy the familiar...
Friendly monsters play a game of hide-and-seek with readers among the landmarks of New York City.
On each double-page spread, readers are invited to search for the critters and take in the sights of the city. A gray, amoeba-shaped varmint sits camouflaged against the sea lions’ rocks of the Central Park Zoo; googly-eyed creatures ensconce themselves between Manhattan towers; a speckled, neck-tie–wearing monster spooks ice skaters at Rockefeller Center. In every scene, a one-eyed, red beastie wielding a telescope indicates how many monsters there are to find, usually six to eight. While this critter is not to be counted, its presence may confuse literal toddlers, who may use it in their enumerations. Some of the creatures are quite difficult to find even for grown-ups, particularly the monsters who look like people and a hellion shaped like the flame of the Statue of Liberty’s torch. Many of the landmarks are highly identifiable, and the city scenes are surprisingly authentic despite the presence of the friendly fiends. The minimal text, nestled in the opposite corner from the counting prompt, labels the sights and shares a little more about the monstrous visitors. The companion titles in the City Monsters series, Chicago Monsters and San Francisco Monsters, follow the same format.
While the book may prove a frustrating search-and-find experience for little ones, youngsters will enjoy the familiar scenes, whether they be residents or recent visitors. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: May 16, 2017
ISBN: 978-2-924734-02-5
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Chouette
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
A sweetly simple bedtime book with a reassuring message.
A young child’s bedtime anxiety is quelled as familiar friends take turns saying goodnight.
Tucked in bed with a flashlight, Bob looks out the window to a crescent Moon, who smiles down and says, “Goodnight Bob.” Alone in the dark, Bob sees two round, white eyes glow, and when he shines his flashlight, Fish appears in his bowl and also says goodnight. This pattern repeats as each successive pair of white eyes in the dark turns into a cat, dog, mouse, Bigfoot (outside the window), and the stars in the night sky. The simple, predictable text will have children chiming in quickly: “Bob saw two eyes. / It was Dog. ‘Goodnight Bob,’ said Dog. / Bob saw two eyes. / It was Mouse. ‘Goodnight Bob,’ said Mouse.” Finally settled in and with eyes closed, Bob is asleep as the moon and stars give another goodbye and the footprints of Bigfoot recede down the path from the house. The simplicity of this repetitive story is accentuated by the primitive cartoonish pastel drawings in primary colors. Bob is a very young Charlie Brown–type figure with light skin, two dotted eyes, a circle nose, and four bristly lines for hair atop his very round head. Bold white text against a dark blue nocturnal background facilitates repeat reads.
A sweetly simple bedtime book with a reassuring message. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8075-3003-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
A bit of geometry and a bit of physiology add up to monstrous fun.
What do monsters of various shapes eat? Why, food of various shapes, of course!
Quirky red monsters with toothy mouths and made up of different shapes invite readers to figure out what they love to eat. Each left-hand page depicts a plate holding an assortment of food in different shapes set on a cheery checked tablecloth. Each right-hand page depicts a differently shaped monster. Children will soon figure out each monster has a preference for food of a matching shape. They can check their answers by lifting the flap on the monster’s tummy. The correct food items are shown inside the monsters’ stomachs with intestines going off into their nether parts. The usual suspects make an appearance: square, circle, triangle, and rectangle. But there is also a semicircle, a crescent, an oval, and even a heart-shaped monster. What differentiates this book from other shape books comes at the end. If children don’t know it already, they will soon find out that what goes in must also come out. “Yikes! Where is the Sausage Monster running in such a hurry?” As the Sausage Monster sits on the toilet, children can lift the flap on the side of the fixture to reveal—yes! Sausage-shaped poop.
A bit of geometry and a bit of physiology add up to monstrous fun. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: May 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-988-8341-40-5
Page Count: 22
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
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