The page stating, “Because I’m your dad, you can sometimes stay up late with me to watch TV” depicts the father asleep while the child sits on the sofa terrified by what is on the screen. Readers will smile at the low-key humor in the pictures. The somewhat cuddly pair is comically shown participating in their less-than-ordinary activities like “having spaghetti for breakfast, French toast for dinner, and rocky road ice cream in the bathtub.” They play with robots, listen to really loud music, burp like champions and miss school to visit New York to share a hot dog. Santat has good fun creating scenes for two hairy, horned monsters, the dad pickle green and the child a pleasing purple. What saves this title from being just a syrupy pronouncement are the characters. Unabashed sentimentality dominates the text in this loving promise from a father to his child.
In time for Halloween, a BOO-k about a ghost that young readers will enjoy. Her pals have a bright, folk art–y appearance. Chubby Little Ghost is amorphous, winsome, and wide eyed. Occasionally, certain words and onomatopoeic sounds, such as the animals’ calls, are capitalized and appear in display type for dramatic effect. Illustrations and white text type pop against saturated turquoise backgrounds. The jaunty rhyming couplets mostly succeed but are sometimes awkward. This cute but thin rhyming New Zealand import will appeal to ghost fans they’ll definitely want to comply-loudly-with the final instruction. In an unexpected concluding twist, Little Ghost locates the friend she most needs, the one who will assuredly help reclaim her boo-tiful sound. She finally heads home, despondent, and meets another pal whose voice resembles her own. She declines, explaining that, while the calls are perfect for them, they aren’t as scary as hers. She encounters her friends Owl, Pigeon, and Rooster, whose sounds are all similar to “Boo” unable to join Little Ghost in her search for her boo, they offer to lend her their cries. Mama Ghost sympathizes but fears her child’s “fright nights are done.” Not one to give up easily, Little Ghost launches a search. Attempting to frighten an unsuspecting human (who presents White), she finds to her dismay that, instead of her signature sound, only “a rush of cold air” escapes her mouth. What can a ghost do when she’s lost her boo?
They will still laugh.Īt least the red button doesn’t initiate the self-destruct sequence-though many more stories of this ilk may cause a market implosion. Has it been done in a more engaging, creative way? Yes. The urgency, desperation and dire pleas contradict a child’s natural curiosity (and perhaps the ever-tempting urge to do what is forbidden). You should give the button one little push.” With the turn of the page, Larry has turned yellow! Thus begins a familiar romp in which readers are given directions, and poor Larry gains spots and then multiplies into many other monsters. That button does look awfully tempting….He whispers in a conspiratorial tone, “Psst! No one is looking. Don’t even THINK about it.” But then Larry experiences some inner turmoil. He comes in closer and growls, “Seriously. Larry tells readers to not push the button. Red buttons almost always signal danger, but an unmarked button is also impossible to resist. He stands alone on the page, next to a single red button across the gutter. Larry is a rounded purple monster, similar to McDonald’s Grimace but with horns.
There is only one rule: Don’t push the button.
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