Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a sweet twist on the books-about-books theme from the duo behind Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise, a small purple monster asks an artist to craft a scary story for him. The artist is offstage; readers see only the monster, whose snaggly teeth, small horns, and generally unthreatening demeanor suggest that things won't get overly frightening. "We could start the story in a dark and scary forest," the artist offers. "That's a good idea," says Little Monster; their conversations are color coded so it's always clear who's talking. The obliging creator supplies a forbidding, decrepit mansion surrounded by leering trees, prompting an "Oh my golly gosh!" from the startled monster. "Is that too scary? Would you rather it was just a spooky house?" "That sounds better," says Little Monster, relieved. It's ideally suited to readers who prefer knowing what's going to happen in their scary story before it actually happens; Little Monster always says what he needs, and the creator is always willing to make adjustments. Underneath the light chills and thrills is an exploration of setting limits and feeling safe, handled with warmth and humor. Ages 2-5. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A conversation between Little Monster and an unseen narrator plays out through a series of alternating visual spreads. Initially, the purple monster is positioned on a solid white background. As the narrator begins telling a story, the monster enters the scene like a movie backdrop. As details about the tale change, the monster goes in and out of the scene as it shifts. Capturing the exact teetering feeling of a child who wants to be adventurous, Little Monster is simultaneously thrilled and afraid. The narrator asks, "Is that too scary?" "Just a little!" answers Little Monster. Eventually he decides that he wants to do the scaring, taking control of the narrative and turning it around. The digital illustrations look as though they were created with markers, making them well suited to the idea of a child coming up with ideas. The interactive nature of the text invites readers to imagine their own versions and how they would respond given the monster's choices. VERDICT A fun premise, imaginative book design, and appealing illustrations make this book a terrific choice for spooky-themed storytimes.--Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA © Copyright 2017. 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
An offstage narrator talks to happy Little Monster, who has a big purple head, three stubby teeth, tiny horns, and wide yellow eyes. Hello, Little Monster. What do you want to do today? Can I be in a story? Using dialogue distinguished by color (black for the narrator, purple for Little Monster), the two try to find just the right balance between funny and scary. I want to be in a SCARY story! A funny story might be more fun. Not for me, it wont be! With the turn of a page, Little Monster is inserted into a spooky forest with a dilapidated house complete with ghost rising from the chimney. OH MY GOLLY GOSH! says Little Monster, who finds this story a little too scary. After some soul-searching, Little Monster realizes it would be better to be the scary character in a storybut then becomes too frightened to scare whoever is behind a closed door. The solution? Yes, okay, a funny story (which also, it turns out, becomes a little scary for our narrator, to Little Monsters delight). The bold-hued, digitally colored ink illustrations, which are very funny in spite of being scary, work well with the chatty text to create a dynamic that leaves readers and listeners eager to engage with the story. julie roach (c) Copyright 2017. 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
Little Monster wants to be in a scary storyor maybe not. In a tale told entirely in dialogue, an unseen narrator, whose text is set in black type, interacts with purple Little Monster, who, following suit, speaks in purple. The enthusiastic (and adorable, with two little white horn nubbins on its oversize head, big yellow eyes, and three teeth that sometimes change position) Little Monster eschews the narrator's idea that it star in a funny storyit wants a scary story. But when the narrator plops it down in a dark and scary wood outside a haunted house, Little Monster's dialogue bubble says "Oh my golly gosh!" Its body language and wide-eyed fright fill in the gaps. The narrator dials back the scary in stages, Little Monster's quaint expressions continuing as everything is still too frightening for itthough it does lose some of its naivet along the way, learning to ask specific questions of the narrator. Jullien's illustrations are suitably creepy, but because the narrator tells Little Monster in advance what will happen with each turn of the page, they shouldn't be anything readers can't handle, and the jump at the end is a satisfying one. And after the final page, readers may just be asking along with Little Monster, "So, can I be in a story again tomorrow?" Little Monster takes the idea of a story from something on a page to something to be lived. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
