SAM FINDS A MONSTER

Sam the sheepdog is back, but this time he’s on his own and it’s not exactly a mystery that’s his focus; it’s a monster. As usual, Labatt’s starting reader successfully draws its audience along with an enticing blend of image, word, humor, and action with which those young readers will readily identify. Sam spies a green monster on the television. When the monster leaves the screen, Sam goes searching for it throughout the house. He thinks he has cornered the monster in the kitchen closet—it’s really a big green plastic garbage bag—and he takes on the foe, worrying a foot of the bag until it rips off. Out spill remnants of cookies: “This monster came to eat my cookies!” Sam will not let such treachery go unavenged. He rips off the other foot/corner of the monster/garbage bag. Out spill shards of donut: “This monster came to eat my donuts!” Sam shakes the bag to shreds, revealing all manner of goodies the monster put into its capacious maw. Sam is one proud dog when his owners appear on the scene. Sam captures a kid’s thought process, tenacity, and pride of accomplishment—no matter what the outcome. And the young audience will love being in on the joke. (Easy reader. 5-7)