Hush Little Monster

A monster father attempts to appease his cranky child in a clever riff on the “Hush, Little Baby” lullaby. “Hush, Little Monster, don’t you howl./ Daddy’s gonna give you a.../ screeching owl./ If that owl won’t say ‘whoo whoo’.../ Granny Ghost will bring you a big, bad boo!” Iwai’s monster father, with his red bean-shaped nose and Groucho Marx eyebrows, wouldn’t be out of place on Sesame Street. These husband-and-wife collaborators score some very funny moments while delivering a sweetly ghoulish story about a guardian’s love for a child (horns and all). Ages 4–6. (Aug.)