The monster in the lake

Eric, a cautious mallard, resists joining three duck friends for a lake paddle. The bird has heard there's a monster lurking in the waters, and he hangs back even when the pals offer blithe reassurance--"Trust us!" But readers, who can see both above and below the lake's waterline, will note that the murky, bubbly green depths--rendered in a mélange of acrylic paint and aerosol spray--indeed reveal a large bona fide monster with horns, yellow stalk eyes, and a heap of big white teeth. Is Eric a sitting duck? Hardly: The nattily accessorized behemoth tips a red top hat to Eric and escorts the bird deep beneath the surface to a city flourishing on the lake bed. In a spectacular double gatefold, Timmers (Bear's Lost Glasses) reveals this hopping metropolis with his signature maximalist flair--it's bursting with monsters of every shape, color, fashion sense, and eyeball count. Eric takes to the setting like, well, a duck to water, and when he surfaces, he's a considerably more confident bird. Children who get their hands on this oversize, glossy delight, filled with made-to-linger details, will be lucky ducks indeed. Ages 4--6. (Sept.)

PreS-Gr 2--Four ducks are ready for fun in a lake full of monsters--though only one of them seems to know it! When a duck hesitates to join the others, asking, "But what about the monster?" the friends insist there's nothing to worry about. Each spread offers a clever above-and-below-the-water view, building suspense as fish and frogs give way to something bigger. Just as the ducks confidently declare "TRUST US," a huge monster appears; one duck is pulled underwater, only to return and claim again that there's no such thing as a monster. Whether this is denial or a misunderstanding is never fully explained. A silly tone and expressive illustrations bring energy to the pages, but the unclear resolution leaves readers guessing. VERDICT A visually engaging story with playful elements, but the confusing message and weak plot make it a lower priority for library collections.--Kirsten Caldwell

A timid mallard is anxious about crossing a possibly monster-infested lake, but after overcoming his fear, he finds something surprising underwater. Despite the legends, Eric's three birdie buddies are insistent that the lake doesn't harbor any monsters. Nah, there's only "boring old fish and frogs." But on the extra-tall pages divided horizontally and offering views both above and below the waterline, the observant fowl--and readers--have a different vantage point. What they see in the shadowy depths is fish and frogs fleeing. Enter the monster, a textured teal creature with horns and requisite sharp white teeth but who also sports a warm grin and dapper crimson chapeau. Leaving his friends blissfully unaware, Eric dives and explores a monster-ific world via an impressive gatefold. Inside is a grandiose underwater city cleverly constructed from human detritus where vibrantly colored, just-barely scary monsters cavort. Emboldened by his adventures, a newly self-assured Eric returns to his now-alarmed friends and reassures them that "there's no monster in the lake," a statement that leaves the tale on a curiously ambiguous note. Translated from Dutch, the wry narrative is told entirely in short, declarative lines of conversation. The contrast between the oblivious birds floating in stark white and Eric with the rainbow monster menagerie below is flawlessly deadpan. The book's multilayered aerosol spray and acrylic paint illustrations are uniquely pleasing. Here be monsters--and they are monstrously fun!(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.