Frankenstein Doesn’t Wear Earmuffs!

Assembling a Frankenstein’s monster costume and preparing to set out trick-or-treating, a boy imagines he is the towering, foreboding figure of lore, but his father interrupts his reverie: “Not so fast there, Frankenstein./ Those clouds are looking iffy./ So take my old galoshes here;/ they’re waterproof and spiffy.” Text and pictures slyly jump between imaginary and the real settings, revealing the legendary Frankenstein looking none too happy in “giant red and floppy boots” and then further disgruntled after he dons the puffy orange parka, striped scarf, and fuzzy earmuffs that the boy’s mother insists he wear (she also stuffs a fanny pack with emergency supplies—including reflective underpants). The boy-turned-monster finally snaps, screaming the titular assertion, and proceeds outdoors sans warm accessories, with droll and chilly results. Loren doesn’t miss a beat in his gleaming picture book debut, synchronizing perky verse with equally hilarious digital art to deliver a genuine Halloween treat that is, at last, “warm and toasty.” Ages 4–8. (July)