How I Met My Monster

July 15, 2019
In a tardy prequel to I Need My Monster (2009), candidates for that coveted spot under the bed audition. As the distressingly unflappable young narrator looks on, one monster after another gives it a go--but even with three mouths, the best roar Genghis can manage is a puny "blurp!", silly shadow puppets by shaggy Morgan elicit only a sneeze, and red Abigail's attempt to startle by hiding in the fridge merely leaves her shivering and pathetic. Fortunately, there's Gabe, who knows just how to turn big and hairy while lurking outside the bathroom and whose red-eyed stare and gross drooling sends the lad scrambling into bed to save his toes. "Kid, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," the toothy terror growls. Right he is, the lad concludes, snuggling down beneath the covers: "His snorts and ooze were perfect." As usual, the white-presenting child's big, bright, smiling face and the assortment of bumbling monsters rendered in oversaturated hues keep any actual scariness at tentacle's length. Moreover, Monster, Inc. fans will delight in McWilliam's painstaking details of fang, claw, hair, and scales. Frightful and delightful: a comforting (to some, anyway) reminder that no one sleeps alone. (Picture book. 5-8)

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September 2, 2019
In this peppy prequel to I Need My Monster and Hey, That’s MY Monster!, Noll and McWilliam reveal how Ethan, a child, chose Gabe as his personal monster when he was younger. Three other vividly hued monsters compete for the job, under the direction of their teacher, Mr. Zee, but only Gabe, with his neon-green fur, spiked tail, and bulbous vermillion eyes, has the aptitude for scaring Ethan into bed—and keeping him there. Gabe, whose size increases exponentially after he snacks on some of the boy’s crackers, clinches the role thanks to some secret weapons: the lime-green drool that oozes out from his resting spot under the bed as well as his snorts and gentle threats (“Got any toes I can munch?”), which simultaneously give the boy shivers and lull him to sleep. Like the text, McWilliam’s brassy digital acrylics are more silly than scary, with the characters’ wildly exaggerated facial expressions amplifying the comedy. Ages 5–7.

September 1, 2019
Grades K-2 This prequel to Noll's I Need My Monster (2009) is reminiscent of the Pixar film Monsters, Inc., in which professional monsters visit bedrooms to scare young children. When little Ethan reaches under his bed for a toy truck, he discovers five pairs of huge eyes staring back at him. A number of potential monsters have come to compete for the role of scaring him into staying in bed all night. Having blown their cover, the monsters emerge and take turns auditioning to see who can scare Ethan the most. The monsters are quite small, though, and he isn't easy to scare; in fact, Ethan is delighted by the monsters' amusing antics. McWilliam's illustrations, done in pencil and digital acrylic paint, are bright and wonderfully lifelike?so much so that even the goofy-looking monsters may be a bit too much for the youngest readers. For those children who are ready for a little scare, though, this is a clever, fun romp.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)