The Monster Machine

July 1, 2013

K-Gr 1-This is a story about a boy whose father is an inventor. His "latest and greatest invention" is a machine that when stocked with slimy, gooey, and strange ingredients, pops out monsters. Though they may seem strange, the monsters turn out to be great fun, teaching the child monster tricks and games. One day, however, through their education from books and TV, the monsters discover that they actually belong in a magical land far away. Dad helps them build a huge arclike flying machine that presumably takes them to this mystic place, leaving the boy as the head monster in the house. The illustrations are the best part of this story; bold and bigger than life, they have a steampunk feel. Children will enjoy the complexity of the artwork paired with the simplicity of the text.-Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh, PA

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