The Mango Monster
Derek Mascarenhas, illus. by Meneka Repka. Owlkids, $18.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-7714-7569-3
A pair of resourceful cousins endeavors to trap a mango thief in Mascarenhas’s conversationally told picture book about pitching in for a larger purpose. The morning that
Marianne wakes up to ripe mangoes outside, she and cousin Zoe discover that the tree’s lower branches have been picked over. When a neighbor hints at the presence of a mango monster (“They’ve been stealing from mango trees since before I was born”), the children imagine a purple entity with long claws and an orange tongue. They try various methods of detection—sprinkling ashes to track footprints, placing bells and pots in the branches to sound an alarm—before solving the mystery of the filched fruit. Oranges, purples, and greens dominate Repka’s engaging digital illustrations, which hint logically at the culprit throughout while leaving room for whimsy. Characters cue as South Asian. Ages 4–7. (Sept.)
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Reviewed on: 06/06/2024
Genre: Children's