cover image Yuck! That's Not a Monster!

Yuck! That's Not a Monster!

Angela McAllister, illus. by Alison Edgson, Good Books, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-56148-683-0

A monster mother and father are horrified when one of their hatchlings enters the world furry, pink, and sweet—unlike his raucous monster siblings, Horrid and Frightful, who are spiked and warty like their parents. Little Shock, something of a Pokémon and Care Bear hybrid, just gets fluffier as he gets older and is afraid of the dark. At their mother's insistence, Horrid and Frightful take Little Shock with them to the forest to scare the animals, where Little Shock's good nature ends up coming in handy. Though readers may be loath to identify with such a squeaky-clean hero, the message about celebrating differences comes through, and Edgson's artwork offers visual humor in spades. Ages 3–7. (June)