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

Review - Goodnight, Little Monster

Goodnight, Little Monster
by Helen Ketteman
illustrated by Bonnie Leick
Date: 2010
Publisher: Two Lions
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: Amazon.ca

Little Monster needs to get ready for bed. That means howling at the moon, scrubbing his scales, getting into his creepy PJs, and enjoying a nice snack before bed: worm juice and baked beetle bread. And, of course, Little Monster’s mother is nearby to tuck Little Monster into bed and turn on his night-light—because even little monsters can be afraid of the dark. Bonnie Leick’s soft, child-friendly illustrations rendered in watercolor bring a new and quiet twist to the evening’s bedtime ritual. Sweet dreams, Little Monster!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I've read a number of bedtime picture books now, and at this point, they're all starting to look the same. That's why I was pleasantly surprised by Goodnight, Little Monster, which is a basic bedtime-routine story that's given a new twist by having the main character be a cute little monster. As he gets ready for bed, we see him take a bath (being careful to wash his tail), eat a monster-friendly snack, brush his fangs, and even check for children under the bed.

The rhyming text is actually pretty good (it shouldn't surprise me, but it does; there are so many books out there with iffy rhyme and meter), and the story itself, while basic, is cute enough. Where this book really shines, though, is with the illustrations. Little Monster is pretty adorable, and not really scary; it's nice that it shows him being just as afraid of children as children might be of monsters! (There are spiders and bats and eyeballs all over the place, so the pictures might not be everyone's cup of tea. But, really, Leick has made those things about as cute and non-threatening as they're going to get!)

I quite enjoyed this one. If you're looking for a bedtime book that's a little different, you might want to give Goodnight, Little Monster a try.

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.57 out of 5