Under-the-Bed Fred

In this entertaining series opener from the team behind Toads on Toast and If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur, the monster under Leo’s bed turns out to be friendly, not frightening. Over five episodic chapters, Leo gets to know Fred, who resembles an overgrown orange bear but can shapeshift into a variety of scary creatures and otherwise behave monsterly when it’s called for—such as when an older boy named Sam wreaks havoc with Leo’s belongings during a play date gone bad. “Sam the Man... meet Fred the Monster,” quips Leo as Fred handles the situation. Zippy dialogue and Jack’s energetic digital artwork make this an appealing odd-couple story that doesn’t skimp on physical comedy. Ages 6–10. [em]Author’s agent: Hilary McMahon, Westwood Creative Artists. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates. (Sept.) [/em]