This is the House That Monsters Built

August 1, 2016
It’s one big chain of scares in this Halloweeny version of “This Is the House That Jack Built” from the duo behind Pluto Visits Earth! As assembly of the house gets underway, various creatures inadvertently spook each other: “This is the skeleton who nailed down the floor,/ That upset the werewolf who put in a door,/ That stopped the spider who started to crawl/ That shocked the mummy who raised the wall.” The nervous, jittery ink lines that characterize Lee’s work fit the Halloween setting to a tee: the story’s physical comedy, which includes a monster accidentally smashing the skeleton to bits with an armchair, peaks when it’s revealed that a group of young trick-or-treaters are behind all the mayhem. Kids can be scary, too, Metzger and Lee remind readers, just in time for end-of-October mischief. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

In a "House That Jack Built" tale that exemplifies the butterfly effect, some costumed kids who shout "Trick or treat!" cause havoc at a house full of monsters. The children wake up the vampire, who trips on his feet and stuns a witch stirring a cauldron. This spooks a ghost, "Boo!" who startles a zombie, who screams and scatters the bats. This scares the black cat, who in turn terrifies Frankie. A skeleton, a werewolf, a spider, and a mummy round out the Halloween cast. Four of these creatures are involved in actually building the house (which is more than the original rhyme). Metzger's verses have a nice rhythm to them, and the end rhymes work, though it may take quite a few readings before children can join in. The illustrations are done in a scratchy style with black and white featuring prominently and pops of poison green and shades of purple and red. The bugged eyes, wide-open mouths with lots of sharp teeth, and evident fear make this one to share with slightly older children. For fans of cumulative rhymes and monsters of all sorts. (Picture book. 4-7) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2016

K-Gr 2-"The House That Jack Built" gets a remodel when monsters, including a vampire, a ghost, a mummy, a witch, a black cat, a black widow spider, bats, and Frankenstein, move in. Although reminiscent of the source material, this has a definite Halloween bent. The mummy raises a wall. The werewolf puts in a door. The skeleton nails down the floor. The witch is cooking her "brew." The zombie screams, and the ghost shouts "boo!" This causes the bats to fly about. Of course, all of this action is in rhyme. The characters in the brightly colored illustrations possess varying degrees of scariness, though the spider's markings are more artistically drawn than those that would be found in a field guide. The spread showing the ghost shouting "boo!" is especially effective in its creepiness. VERDICT A great choice for a primary grade Halloween storytime.-Elaine Lesh Morgan, formerly at Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

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