The Monstore

April 29, 2013
Debut author Lazar takes readers to an underground emporium, the Monstore, which trades in “the most useful monsters, just right for doing tricky things around the house.” Tricky things like handling “pesky little sisters.” However, the monsters that Zach purchases aren’t working as advertised. Instead of scaring Gracie, the enormous, three-eyed, orange-furred Manfred teams up with her to frighten Zach. And because the Monstore’s return policies are none too friendly, Zach purchases more monsters (“Add another,” suggests the wild-eyed shopkeeper. “A monster threesome is more gruesome than a twosome”), all of which wind up tormenting Zach. Readers shouldn’t be surprised that Gracie is delighted, not frightened, by the blobby, tentacled additions to the household—Burks’s (Beep and Bah) colorful creatures are firmly in the scary-cute vein of Monsters, Inc. (in one scene, they use a purple snake monster to jump rope with Gracie). Zach gets a chance to prove himself as a capable older brother, but this story really belongs to Gracie. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

August 1, 2013
If only monsters could be purchased to help out with everyday challenges such as gobbling up icky casseroles, providing the perfect amount of glow when it is dark or "frighten[ing] pesky little sisters." This is a story of such a place--a monstore--that is difficult to find and has a very strict refund policy: "No returns. No exchanges." Zach is fed up with his younger sister Gracie's intrusions into his bedroom. At the Monstore, he purchases a fearsome, red, three-eyed creature named Manfred to keep Gracie out of his space. Instead, Manfred shows Gracie his hiding place, and then they both scare Zach. Exasperated with Manfred's performance, he tries to take him back. The Monstore manager holds firm to his policy but suggests he add another. "Monsters make bigger scares in pairs." And so things go with Mookie and Mojo and more, until the house is full of ineffectual creatures. Zach decides to move to the basement, but soon Gracie comes to him for help with a particularly scary, "glitzy, glittery thing." The siblings' relationship mended, Gracie comes up with a plan to deal with the out-of-control monster overflow. Appealing though the premise is, the joke is dragged out a few monsters too many, and though Burks' illustrations have a pleasant, Pixar-esque feel, the story just isn't terribly memorable. No need to invest in this "store." (Picture book. 4-7)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 2-3-"Knock five times fast, hand over a bag of squirmy worms, and you can crawl inside...The Monstore." Zack is tired of his little sister, Gracie, and goes to the Monstore, where there is a selection of monsters for every troublesome task, to buy a fearsome creature that will keep her out of his room. However, the monster and Gracie team up to scare Zack instead so he tries to get his money back. But the manager insists, "Sorry. No Returns. No exchanges" and bamboozles the boy into buying monster after monster. Unfortunately, none of them works. When Gracie ends up being scared by a tiara and Zack is able to save the day, she leaves his room for good, taking her collection of creatures with her. The cartoon illustrations feature brash colors, googly-eyed monsters with candy-cane-striped elongated arms and legs, and freckles on the glowing faces of the pig-tailed and shaggy-haired young protagonists. The humorous writing includes giggle-worthy lines, such as "Slowly and carefully, Zack rid the room of tiara terror." An assortment of speech bubbles conveys the sound and feeling of the dialogue through growing font sizes. For other suspenseful fare heralding bravery rather than beauty, try Levi Pinfold's Black Dog (Candlewick, 2012) or Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple's Not All Princesses Dress in Pink (S & S, 2010).-Sara Lissa Paulson, The American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York City

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