Review - Go to School, Little Monster

Go to School, Little Monster
by Helen Ketteman
illustrated by Bonnie Leick
Date: 2015
Publisher: Two Lions
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: Amazon.ca

Welcome, Little Monster, to your first day of school.

Little Monster is going to school for the very first time. That means he’ll be meeting all the other little monsters, including one who has really big teeth and draws scary pictures. Who will ride the ogres and dragons with Little Monster at recess, and listen with him during story time? And what happens when—gulp—Little Monster realizes he forgot his lunch? It’s a good thing Mr. Drool is there to guide Little Monster the whole day through. Helen Ketteman’s soothing rhymes and Bonnie Leick’s sweet watercolor illustrations combine to create a reassuring first-day-of-school story that’s perfect for little monsters everywhere.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I have to say, I don't like this one as much as Goodnight, Little Monster. The illustrations are more extreme (some of them are so gnarly that they're a bit hard to look at), and the reassuring presence of Little Monster's mom is missing; she isn't there to drop him off or pick him up, and the poor kid doesn't even have a lunch!

The messages about making new friends and trying new things are good, and Little Monster himself is cute... but the rest of the kids are a bit scary (especially Fang, who doesn't appear to talk, but communicates through violent drawings). This book is definitely for an older audience than Goodnight, Little Monster; in fact, I'd be afraid this book might scare preschoolers about school!

So this was a bit of a disappointment. I'm sure some kids will love it (especially if they're not disturbed by the pictures), but it's definitely not as strong as the bedtime book featuring this character.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.29 out of 5