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Big Scary Monster

by Thomas Docherty
40p. 978-0-76364-787-2.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—Big Scary Monster lives on top of a mountain and loves to jump out and surprise everyone with a cry of "Boo!" His friends begin hiding from him and he decides to look for new creatures to frighten. "So, off he went down the mountain. But as he walked, a strange thing happened." The rocks, plants, and creatures become bigger, and he starts to feel small and vulnerable. After he gets scared by a huge rabbit that looms over him, shouting, "Boo!" he scurries back up the mountain, where he is startled by his old friends. Grateful to see them again, he forgets all about being big and threatening. The full-spread watercolor illustrations in deep colors add to the "scary" element of the story. As the Big Scary Monster is traveling down the mountain or up, the art is minimal, showing just the character and the rocks and plants on a white background. The style of these pictures will give young readers an early lesson in perspective. Great as a read-aloud, this book will engage young monster lovers.—Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH
The titular monster, big and blue, lives on a mountaintop. He gets his kicks from scaring the smaller animals with a resounding "Boo!" The monster travels to the lowlands expecting to frighten some other creatures, but he learns a lesson in perspective--both visual and psychological--when the small-looking critters get bigger the closer he gets. Docherty's exaggerated illustrations satisfactorily picture the slight tale.
Reviewed by Sarah Polace , Aug 01, 2010

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