Review by Booklist Review
Mila is a young Black child who lives some days with her mother and the other days with her father. When she arrives at Mommy's house, Kitty (the cat) walks in circles around the girl to welcome her. Mommy and Mila fix dinner together. Later, Mila prepares for bed and settles in for the night. But wait! Daddy always checks for monsters at bedtime. Worried, she calls for Mommy, who inspects every hiding place, saying, "No monsters there! No tall ones and no small ones, no big ones and no thin ones, no naughty ones and no sweet ones." Pointing out that Kitty chases all monsters away, she lets the cat sleep in Mila's room that night, just in case. First published in Belgium and the Netherlands, this picture book is the fourth in a series about Mila. Simple in both words and pictures, it takes a straightforward and reassuring yet imaginative approach to a common childhood fear. The richly colorful illustrations use contrast and patterns effectively. A pleasing read-aloud choice for young children.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A great day of monster play! Mila, who splits her time between her mom's and her dad's houses, asks if her friends Sam and Liza can play at her dad's house after school. Once Sam's and Liza's parents agree, Daddy picks all three of them up, dubs them "little monsters," then carries the monster theme throughout the afternoon. Daddy cooks monster pancakes with strawberry jam and provides glittery hair gel for making "monster hair" (which Daddy also uses), and then they all dress up like monsters. When the mommies return, four monsters and Mila's exuberant dog greet them at the door. Simple and utterly cheerful, the story offers a positive representation of a single-parent household, with a dad who is fully engaged in his child's life and completely invested in participating in her fantasy life. Nijs' illustrations, similar to the Canadian Caillou books and TV series, feature vibrant colors and simple backgrounds. While the adults look distinct from one another, the children's simple facial features are so similar that complexion is their primary distinguishing feature. Mila and her father are Black, Liza and her mother are light-skinned, and Sam and his mother are brown-skinned; Sam's mother wears a headscarf. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A simple and fun story that beckons kids to imagine. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
