Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Scott Magoon
Simon & Schuster
(Source: Bought)
Bernadette may look like a monster, with her fangs, claws and creepy necklace, but she’s hiding a sweet interior (she likes to …gulp!...pet kittens and other nice things.) She’s not like the other monsters at her school, so she has to find a way to fit in while being true to herself – and comes up with a hilarious solution. The text is spare with excellent word choice, and the chararcter design of the monsters is what I'd describe as "cute scary" (though Bernadette is by far my favorite), so even young toddlers shouldn't get too frightened.
Alpha Oops – H is for Halloween by Alethea Kontis, illustrated by Bob Kolar
Candlewick Press
(Source: Bought)
The letters of the alphabet are doing a Halloween show, and since A is not ready, Z makes H go first, since H is the star of Halloween. The letters all come in as different characters – G is for Goblin, V is Vampire, etc – until all the letters have made an appearance. The story is inventive, with charming asides, but may be too complicated for younger children who don’t have a strong grasp of the alphabet already. Love the illustrations!
HarperCollins
(Source: F&G from Frankfurt Book Fair)
Every year, a group of young witches gathers at Miss Thornapple’s school to learn chemistry, physics, and other subjects important to witches. The subjects studied seem pretty advanced for the target audience here though, with lots of jokes that only older kids are going to get (a poster of Twilight hunk Edward Cullen hangs on the wall in the girls’ dorm, for example). The story might appeal to the younger siblings of Harry Potter fans, as there is a cool boarding school vibe throughout.
What are some of your favorite picture books featuring monsters?
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17 comments:
These look really adorable, especially WHICH WAY. :)
MOSTLY MONSTERLY looks so cute!
I haven't read too many picture books in the past few years, but I really enjoyed FRANKENSTEIN TAKES THE CAKE back in 2008.
I wish I had kids so I could buy all these!! Oh wait..I don't need kids for picture books, right?! :)
Mostly Monsterly looks adorable!!
Jamie - Of course you don't need kids! I don't have them and I have over 200 picture books. I think they are wonderful works of art.
Where the Wild Things Are! :P
Oh, the others look darling, too! I'll have to check them out. I just adore Mostly Monsterly!
They are all adorable! I love seeing reviews like this because it helps me to help our school librarian, who often doesn't know whether she is coming or going on most days.
I love Mostly Monsterly and think that it would make a great gift for my best friend's sons. I always like to grab them interesting picture books that coordinate with the holidays, so these are great, Lenore! Thanks for sharing these mini-reviews!
Mostly Monsterly looks adorable. That's the type of book (is this sacrilege to say?) I'd rip up and frame. The art is just too cute.
I must have Mostly Monsterly! My 3 year old has had a thing for books with Monsters since before she was walking. I find her interest has become my obsession. I can’t pass a picture book about monsters without bringing it home :)
Anna - I feel that way about a lot of picture books! Though I've never actually gone and done it.
Yay! Cupcakes with sprinkles for everyone! :)
Tammi Sauer (author of Mostly Monsterly)
Those all look cute - I think Alpha Oops looks adorable :)
Ooh, I did monster books last week, but we didn't overlap any! I just got Alpha Oops for my library and while I enjoyed it, I don't know if the kids will - we'll see! I'm sorry I didn't come across Mostly Monsterly sooner; it looks like one I'd definitely want to share with the younger students.
Great reads! I think Most Monsterly looks the most artistically interesting and cute. The Witch School book sounds really fun - a plot that I would love.
*throws confetti*
Hooray! Thank you!
And Happy Halloween!
Aw! Those look really cute! :D
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