Monster Brother

Rodney hates monsters. They sneak into his room every night and keep him awake. So when his mother announces Rodney is going to have a new baby brother, he's excited. No monster would dare go into a room with two kids in it. But what will the baby look like? If the relatives are right, the baby will inherit Grandma's buggy blue eyes, Grandpa's huge nose, and Aunt Vera's scrawny chicken legs. Rodney's baby brother will look like a monster himself! How will Rodney be able to share his bedroom with a monster brother and keep all the other monsters away?

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-A familiar premise receives fresh treatment in this picture book that brings together two favorite themes: fear of monsters and a new baby. To repel the monsters, Rodney and his parents try turning on all the lights (doesn't work-the monster wears sunglasses) and keeping smelly objects in his bed (doesn't work-the monster wears a clothespin on his nose). Then, the story is seemingly diverted by Mom's pregnancy and Aunt Celeste's wedding. At the reception, the relatives wonder who the new baby will look like: will it have Grandma's big blue eyes? Grandpa's distinguished nose? Aunt Velma's scrawny chicken legs? With each new image, Rodney's vision of the baby gets weirder and weirder, until all he's afraid of is "BEING ALONE IN HIS ROOM IN THE DARK WITH THE BABY!" When the infant arrives, Rodney is relieved that it looks like him, only smaller, and its screams keep the monsters out of the room for good. Auch has a great sense of the ridiculous, and also the rare ability to tell a fairly eventful story; quite a lot happens, yet it should hold even a group of three-year-olds. The bug-eyed characters, the day-glo colors, and the comic exaggeration all enhance the humor of the text. With all the earnest books around on these two topics, it's refreshing to give children the chance to chase away fear and anxiety with a good laugh. A fun book with lots of child appeal.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.