Review by Booklist Review
The parents of author Sterer used to own and operate an upstate New York wildlife discovery center. As a child, he unlocked the cages and let the animals out at night, and he does much the same thing here--only this time, the animals are monsters. This eerie picture book, which can be read for Halloween or whenever a child wants a delicious scare, stars a pale young boy who loves to be read to but wonders who reads to the beasts at night. To help them with this, he and his mother carry a book from their cottage in the middle of the woods. At the top of the highest hill, in a scene reminiscent of "Night on Bald Mountain" from Disney's Fantasia, the boy summons vampires, skeletons, flying dragons, ghosts, giants, witches, mummies, goblins, ghouls, and trolls. The illustrations, done digitally with handmade pencil textures, deliver a wildly creepy feel. The monsters fall asleep when he reads to them, but this book may rev up children at bedtime. Reserve for the scare-proof.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sterer (The Disappearing Mr. Jacques) gives winning warmth to this faintly haunted readaloud celebration in verse. As "Mother tucks me into bed./ 'Let's pick a book we haven't read,' " distant cries outside signal the restlessness of young monsters, who the narrator suggests could use a story of their own. The mother protests, but the child prevails: "They need love and comfort, too!/ How would you feel if it were you?" As the pale-skinned family enters the woods under a full moon, the child offers to read to dragons, giants, skeletons, vampires, and more. Summoned via appropriate phrases (to ghosts: "Open up your haunted hearts"), the horde of finely textured creatures in night-time colors by Santoso (Feathers Together) clamor to hear the story, then fall asleep (all except one, that is, which keen-eyed readers may spot). Some of the tale's humor flows from the portrayal of a child driven not by a wish to avoid bedtime, but by a genuine sense of purpose--an idea reinforced by the mother's final, solemn words: "Your work is done.... I am proud of you." Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. Illustrator's agent: Tamara Shannon, Shannon Associates. (Aug.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
"Fly now, Witches, on your brooms, /march now, Mummies, from your tombs...I will read to you." In a rhythmic rhyming text with the titular phrase (and variations on it) as a refrain, a mother reads to a child who prefers spooky fare. The child wonders, "Who tucks in beasts? Who cares for them?" So they trek to the highest hill and invite all manner of monsters to storytime. The child takes control as leader and reader, which alleviates scariness, and the atmospheric full-bleed illustrations, done digitally combined with handmade pencil textures, make even a swarm of supernatural beings feel just cheerful enough. Shoshana FlaxSeptember/October 2023 p.29 (c) Copyright 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
A child shares bedtime stories with supernatural creatures. Dressed in a green cape, the young narrator channels Sendak's Max, climbing a doorway in a cozy living room littered with pillows and a jack-o'-lantern while a scolding but clearly loving mother declares it's time for bed. With the child tucked in, Mother reads a story about monsters--the little one's favorite--but the protagonist wonders who will read to the creatures of the night. The child's compassion is contagious, and soon the mother follows the young narrator into the rural surroundings to call vampires, dragons, mummies, goblins, ghouls, and trolls to a storytime on a small hill. As the child reads to them, the monsters begin to settle down; the pile of snoozing creatures will elicit smiles from children and adults alike. Well-composed illustrations are rich in texture, dominated by blues, black, and the warm yellow glows of flashlights and the moon. This tale will extend well beyond the Halloween season even though trademarks of the holiday are present throughout--this is ultimately a story about caring for the unseen and the power of books to unite and soothe. Mother and child are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Will have young readers eagerly wondering about what goes bump in the night. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
