One Little Monster: A Frightfully Funny Counting Book

An unseen (until the end) child narrator observes a shadowy figure by the window: “1 little monster staring at me.” The monster, more cute than scary, has a spiky round head and two mismatched bug eyes. The arrival of a second monster, with serrated teeth and antennae eyes, heightens the situation. Circumstances take a silly—and gross—turn as a third monster arises out of gunk from the second monster’s sneeze, and a fourth materializes from a cloud of stench after “one cuts the cheese.” The 10th monster breaks form and puts the others on edge. Newcomer Gonyea renders the monster gang in bright, bold shapes ranging from sharp and jagged to gooey and puddle-like. A somewhat anticlimactic conclusion may not entirely satisfy readers, but watching the monsters morph and multiply along the way is great fun. Ages 4–8.[em] (July) [/em]