THE SCARIEST MONSTER IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD

Thea made a darling fairy last Halloween, a runner-up for the costume prize, and this year her parents envision her winning as a butterfly or dancer. Thea sees herself more as a chartreuse Godzilla with "blood dripping off the corners of my mouth, and maybe even an ax coming out of my head." In Monks's (The Cat Barked?) witty mixed-media collages, the heroine finds a kindred spirit in her witchy grandmother, who wisely stitches the trophy-coveting parents a pair of prize-winning costumes. Like Hoodwinked (reviewed above), Mayer's debut supports unconventional girls. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)