I Am Scary

January 6, 2020
Gravel’s (What Is a Refugee?) beguiling, economical style is in top form in this board book. A big turquoise monster with an angry red mouth and two striped horns encounters a kid and dog in a forest. “Look at me!” the monster says, jumping out from behind a tree, “I am very SCARY!” While the dog strikes a range of attitudes, from snarling and protective to let’s-get-out-of-here, the kid is fazed not one bit. In fact, no matter how much the monster rails (“Listen to this: Grrrrrrrrrrr!”), the child stands firm, until the monster finally breaks down in tears over being unable to frighten. “I think you’re cute,” says the kid—and in truth, the monster really is quite adorable. The child follows up the compliment with the offer of a hug, the dog joins in, and on the final page, it’s clear the monster’s heart has melted. The petite format, hand-lettered text, and spare, single-plane black line drawings, punctuated with saturated spot color, make this book feel like a comedy skit lovingly performed for an intimate audience. Ages up to 3. Agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words.

October 15, 2019
Preschool After a monster ambushes an unsuspecting child and dog in the woods? Raaaarh! ?it's dismayed they don't find it scary at all. The unfazed child looks on as the monster makes its case: Look at my pointy teeth! Look at my huge eyes! It growls and roars and finally breaks down into a full-on existential crisis, but the child brings the monster peace with a new perspective? I think you're cute. Gravel captures humor and heart in a simple dialogue between the goofy aquamarine monster and apathetic child. The contrasting pairing provides a classic setup, and a heartwarming resolution brings satisfaction to the hilarious exchange.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)