THE BLOCK MESS MONSTER

Calpurnia narrates her tale of woe in this debut, chronicling her battle against the Block Mess Monster. While her mother wants her to clean her room, the monster does not, and therein lies one of the central problems—the other being the fact that her mother cannot see the monster. When Mom’s solution (saying, “POOF!”) fails, Calpurnia narrowly saves her from the monster. By this time, her mom’s patience is shot but she cleverly comes up with a solution that satisfies both the monster and Calpurnia. Decker’s loose cartoons render Calpurnia as a beret-wearing, paintbrush-wielding Picasso-esque painter with a wonderful range of expression and outfits. While it’s difficult at first to see a monster in the unsteady pile of blocks on the floor, once readers discern his face they will delight in picking him out in all the illustrations. The little girl’s priceless quips will have both parents and children in stitches, and the solution just might work with other children who are loath to clean up. (Picture book. 4-8)