Here Comes Destructosaurus

In this very funny mash-up of Dr. Spock and Godzilla, a dragonlike monster who also looks an awful lot like a rampaging toddler (its big round head is a giveaway) is wreaking havoc in New York City—and the narrator is fed up: “Stop throwing around buildings that don’t belong to you. You’ve been brought up better than that, you naughty monster! Look with your eyes, not with your claws.” But the narrator feels a little more sympathetic—and guilty, of course—when the monster’s source of fury is pinpointed: a misplaced teddy bear (“Wait, what’s that in your hand? No, I know that’s a train station. I mean, in your other hand”). This fresh spin on the “Will my rage consume me and everyone I love?” genre has something for everyone. Tankard’s (It’s a Tiger!) scary-funny cartooning, with its bold outlines and flammable colors, should be catnip to young eyeballs, while grownups will appreciate Reynolds’s (Carnivores) spot-on imitation of every frustrated, momentarily ineffectual parent in, well, the history of parenthood. Ages 2–4. Author’s agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Apr.)