Monster-Scared

Generously stroked ink and wash illustrations create a brooding atmosphere for this consideration of how to handle a monster’s possible presence. A white-presenting child in a horned cap narrates, describing how the hat’s “long ears” help them detect the being’s quiet sounds. “Mom says what I’m hearing isn’t the monster,” Birkjær writes, lines rendered in conversational English by Øgaard Jensen and Longo—“Just an animal in the attic building a hidey-hole.” But the child remains alert, and descriptions of their nighttime experience (about a rustling sound: “I’m almost too scared to breathe”) accompany schemes to vanquish the monster (laying a trap, making an orchestral ruckus). Concluding with a visit to the attic, this perceptive exploration of big feelings both allows the protagonist to take actions that validate their experience and lets readers know they’re not alone. Ages 3–8. (Sept.)