Kirkus Reviews QR Code
MONSTER-SCARED by Betina Birkjær Kirkus Star

MONSTER-SCARED

by Betina Birkjær ; illustrated by Zarah Juul ; translated by Katrine Øgaard Jensen & Orien Longo

Pub Date: Sept. 19th, 2023
ISBN: 9781945492747
Publisher: Transit Books

In this Danish import, a child is certain there’s a monster in the attic.

Creepy monster faces and claws border some of the pages, show up in shadows, and are visible to the young narrator when the child’s eyes are closed. Most of the monochromatic settings are rendered in gray-browns. A few details appear in color: the youngster’s pinkish face and ruddy cheeks, small objects. Despite the menacing beasts conjured in the child’s imagination, there are cozy retreats, and although the mother admits that her offspring’s monster drawing is pretty scary, she explains that the overhead noise is just an animal “building a hidey-hole.” Their conversations contain wry humor. When invited to investigate, the child is too busy. “ ‘Busy doing what?’ Mom asks. ‘Something.’ I say.” Ultimately, the protagonist braves the steps to discover a pleasant space with “fun things.” The parent unearths a trumpet to add to the child’s one-man-band attempts to drown out the offending sounds. The concluding garret scene reveals a small pink monster mirroring the pose in the child’s drawing. The creature is wearing a striped shirt, spotted pants, and horned hat, just like the protagonist—food for thought. Birkjær’s portrayal of a supportive mother (who never panders) and Juul’s visual narrative depicting emotional growth in a subtle, inventive manner—starting with the contrasting endpapers—offer a refreshing departure from stories with similar themes. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sympathetic exploration of the dance between agency and anxiety in conquering a common childhood fear.

(Picture book. 4-7)