Fred

In a town handsomely drafted in black ink, a boy named Fred %E2%80%9Cwas able to see and believe in things... that others could not.%E2%80%9D Monsters, namely. Seo, a Korean artist making her children%E2%80%99s book debut, creates a slew of shaggy, wide-eyed creatures, colored in pale yellows and blues, who aren%E2%80%99t just benevolent, but downright helpful (%E2%80%9CSometimes they acted like the wind and moved branches out of the way for people. And sometimes they acted like shade and kept people cool on hot summer days%E2%80%9D). In a development that will be familiar to anyone who has seen Toy Story or sung Puff, the Magic Dragon, Fred eventually trades these smiley, friendly furballs for human companions, growing up to be someone who %E2%80%9Cate the same things everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner%E2%80%9D and %E2%80%9Clived each day very much like the day before.%E2%80%9D It%E2%80%99s a story that tugs at heartstrings (it%E2%80%99s tough to watch the crestfallen monsters fade to black and white as Fred forgets about them), but Seo%E2%80%99s upbeat ending affirms the loyalty of this hirsute and utterly devoted crew. Ages 3%E2%80%937. (Mar.)