cover image Little Monster

Little Monster

Barrie Wade. Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books, $13.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-688-09596-3

To children who worry about whether or not their parents will always love them--even when they're naughty--this reassuring book delivers a resounding ``yes.'' Mandy creeps downstairs while her parents are entertaining, and hears her mother brag that Mandy is ``as good as gold.'' Although the guests are not terribly interested in this news , they laugh heartily when told that Mandy's brother Jimmy, on the other hand, is a ``little monster.'' As her mother runs upstairs to deal with Jimmy's latest shenanigans, Mandy quietly returns to bed. The next day, she indulges in a temporary role reversal by being as loud, rude and disobedient as she can be. Finally, Mandy, too, is called a ``little monster,'' which suits her just fine; particularly when her mother gives her the expected assurance that she is loved, no matter how she behaves. Wade's uncomplicated text and Kew's soft watercolors each do their part to convey this important message. Ages 4-7. (Apr.)