HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MONSTER!
by Scott Beck & illustrated by Scott Beck
Ben, a cartoon three-horned devil, is throwing a surprise party for his friend Doris, a green dragon in a purple dress. Vampire, Skeleton, Ghost, Alien, Mummy and Robot all attend. They snack, sing, dance and play games. After the cake and presents, Doris says thank you . . . or so the text of the story goes. All the tongue-in-cheek, monster fun occurs in the panel illustrations where the partygoers converse in talk bubbles. To prepare for the party, Ben flosses and brushes his horns. Ghost chomps some nuts and is embarrassed when they fall out the bottom of her gown. Robot is a bit overzealous in his piñata destruction: Who needs a bat when you have ray-gun hands? And of course, Doris Dragon lights her candles when she blows on them. Completely non-threatening monster and birthday fun—perfect for sharing one-on-one, this could also be a crowd-pleaser with a little practice at giving the monsters the voices you know they must have. (Picture book. 3-7)