Review by Booklist Review
Love Monster comes home from a trip to find a box of chocolates by his front door, and he has an internal debate about sharing the candy with friends or keeping it for himself. He decides to keep all the chocolates, but his conscience bothers him as he thinks about his terrific friends. Changing his mind, he rushes to find the friends, who have been preparing a surprise Welcome Home party for him. The tale's twist is that when he offers the box to the group, he discovers there is only one piece. They had saved his favorite kind for him to have when he got home. As part of the overall page design, the font varies in size and thickness. Heavy black outlines prevent the individual picture components from becoming lost in the crowded spreads. As an import, the story retains some British spellings, but since most children would be hearing the story from an adult rather than reading it themselves, that should not pose any problem.--Whitehurst, Lucinda Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"Everybody knows that monsters seriously love chocolate," so Bright's Love Monster, back in a third book, is thrilled to find a box of chocolates on his doorstep. But Love Monster's mind quickly starts racing: should he share the candy? "What if someone took the one he wanted most?" After Love Monster hides out at home, his conscience catches up with him; just as he's ready to pass the chocolates around to his best friends, he learns that, this time, sharing is unnecessary. Bright's story skirts the edge of being too message-heavy, but the infectious energy of her cartooning and narration keeps things silly and fun. Ages 2-4. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Hairy, bright red, and sort of cuddly, Love Monster comes home from vacation to find a box of chocolates waiting at his door. Being a serious chocoholic, he contemplates the wonders of the box, imagining all of his favorites, and tries to decide if he should share his good fortune with his friends. What if there aren't enough? What if he's left with the icky coffee-flavored piece? Resolving to keep the sampler all to himself, he takes it inside the house, until he has a "queasy-squeezy feeling in his heart" and knows that he is doing something wrong. Opting to share the treats, he runs out and discovers not only how important his friends are to him but also how important he is to them. This is the third book featuring Love Monster, and like the previous installments, it features large, colorful illustrations that accompany a feel-good tale. VERDICT A sweet and tender storytime read-aloud.-Jane Hebert, Glenside Public Library District, Glendale Heights, IL © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Love Monster greedily prepares to devour the entire box of chocolates he's found on his doorstep, but a "queasy-squeezy feeling in his heart" stops him. When he instead opens the box to share with friends, he discovers a lovely surprise they've left for him inside. Etchings with rough black lines and soft pastel coloring help convey the sweet story's when-you-give-you-get sentiment. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The surprised recipient of a box of chocolates agonizes over whether to eat the whole box himself or share with his friends. Love Monster is a chocoholic, so when he discovers the box on his doorstep, his mouth waters just thinking about what might be inside; his favorite's a double chocolate strawberry swirl. The brief thought that he should share these treats with his friends is easily rationalized away. Maybe there won't be enough for everyone, perhaps someone will eat his favorite, or, even worse, leave him with his least favorite: the coffee one! Bright's pacing and tone are on target throughout, her words conveying to readers exactly what the monster is thinking and feeling: "So he went into his house. And so did the box of chocolateswithout a whisper of a word to anyone." This is followed by a "queasy-squeezy" feeling akin to guilt and then by a full-tilt run to his friends, chocolates in hand, and a breathless, stream-of-consciousness confession, only to be brought up short by what's actually in the box. And the moral is just right: "You see, sometimes it's when you stop to think of othersthat you start to find out just how much they think of you." Monster's wide eyes and toothy mouth convey his emotions wonderfully, and the simple backgrounds keep the focus on his struggle. A treat to be savoredand a lesson learnedany time of year. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
