Believe It or Not, My Brother Has a Monster!

July 27, 2015
In a raucous story from U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Nesbitt (Bigfoot Is Missing!), a boy describes the Halloween night when his brother brought home a monster (and an array of animals): “He then snuck seven bats inside./ The spiders ran and tried to hide.” Slonim’s (I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dreidel) rattlebrained cartoons convey the animal guests’ antics, which include commandeering a computer and rocking out to “Monster Mash.” When the boy’s worst fear comes true (“I hope our parents don’t find out!”), the animals transform into cuddlier counterparts (robins instead of ravens, gerbils instead of spiders, and a shaggy dog instead of a monster), only to revert to their glowering selves on the final page. The 11th-hour transformations may confuse some readers, but the mischief the animals get up to should keep them entertained. Ages 4–6. Author’s agent: Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary Agency.

August 1, 2015
A boy is horrified as his older brother collects increasing numbers of scary and creepy creatures-and brings them all in the house! Nesbitt delivers this overlong cumulative tale in a series of rhyming couplets. The awestruck younger brother narrates. "It happened just last Halloween, / the weirdest thing you've ever seen: / My brother went out after dark / and found a monster in the park." Soon two hairy spiders, three rats, four toads, five black cats, and so on have invaded their house. The younger brother repeats, "I hope our parents don't find out," at the end of each new iteration. The text describes the mayhem that ensues while Slonim has fun giving the various animals hilarious expressions with his cartoon illustrations. Finally the dreaded moment comes when the parents arrive. But instead of gruesome unwanted visitors, there is a menagerie of more welcome inhabitants, including caterpillars, butterflies, geckos, kittens, and gerbils. The original monster that started the story is "a shaggy dog, just big and hairy." The story takes yet another surprise twist after this one, and with few clues as to its internal logic, readers may find themselves scratching their heads. This title could be a fit for those kids whose imaginations occasionally run amok or those whose memories of actual events get wildly embellished. (Picture book. 5-7)

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May 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-When a sibling does something forbidden, there is as much a sense of dread as there is excitement. Told in rhyme by the younger brother, the story describes how a boy brings home a monster on Halloween night. But that is just the beginning. He continues to accumulate other creepy creatures in increasing quantities. The younger brother bears witness to all the mischief in the dark, each time repeating the phrase "I hope our parents don't find out." When the adults do come home, though, they turn on the lights and readers see that the creatures aren't that creepy after all. Perhaps there was a little elaboration and an overactive imagination at work on the part of the younger brother. While the story concept is cute, the narrative seems to drag a little and can be wordy at times for the sake of the rhyme. The muted cartoony illustrations work well with the text but are not exceptional. VERDICT An additional purchase, especially for the monster-crazed.-Emily E. Lazio, The Smithtown Special Library District, NY

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