Playful monster nosh.
This little guy has a monstrous appetite.
A little green monster riding the subway emerges at a stop holding a book entitled City Food Guide. Alas, Hot Diggity Dog, the restaurant the guide had highlighted as “BE$T HOTDOG EVER!!” is “Closed for Vacation.” This makes the little kaiju angry, a feeling that’s compounded by seeing others around him enjoying tasty foods. Comic book–style illustrations with panels and speech balloons show the monster repeating the phrases “I’m hungry! I’m angry!” as he balloons in size to visually represent his growing rage. Then, a page turn shows people fleeing as he stomps, Godzilla-like, through the city yelling, “I AM HANGRY.” First responders in the persons of a black-appearing policeman and a woman firefighter with light brown skin offer cabbages and broccoli, but after downing the vegetables by the truckload, the monster declares, “I WANT MORE.” When an olive-skinned street vendor offers up a hot dog with all the fixings, the monster is delighted—until a pigeon swoops in and snatches it, setting off another hangry fit and a chase. Resolution arrives when the vendor announces there’s still “plenty of hot dogs…probably enough for everyone.” It’s happily-ever-after for all (except vegetarians), and the satiated monster shrinks back to his original size, hangry no more. While the joke is extended perhaps a few pages longer than necessary, both caregivers and small children will find much to chuckle at.
Playful monster nosh. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-316-55932-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move.
An interactive board book promises a variety of experiences.
A book that gets kids up and moving sounds like a great idea. The half-circle cutout of the spine and large handle formed by another die cut on the right side are intriguing. Unfortunately, the rhyming instructions for using the book as an exercise prop are confusing. Even adults will find themselves puzzled when told to “paddle the floor,” or to “hang on the handles. Step over the book. / You're a turtle in its shell! Go peek out and look.” The busy pictures shift perspective according to each scenario presented but give few visual clues. For example, the only hint of a dinosaur on the page where readers are told to “put this book to your mouth and let out a roar” like a dinosaur are the teeth that line the edges of what is meant to be a gaping maw. It’s not always obvious whether the book is meant to be facing readers or turned away from them, adding another layer of confusion. Furthermore, many of the instructions run counter to how young children are typically taught to treat books, as when they are told to step on it and then waddle or to lift it with their feet. The relatively thin board pages and weak handles will soon be torn by normal handling; following the directions in the text will only hasten the destruction.
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8733-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
