Eric!: …the Hero?

K-Gr 2—Wormell puts a clever twist on the familiar fairy-tale story of a scary monster menacing a small village. Little Eric has something in common with the creature that is terrorizing the people: both are woefully misunderstood. The boy is not good at anything and is routinely verbally abused by his parents, teachers, and peers. They call him such names as "Nitwit!," "Dummy!," and "Dunce." This may seem a bit severe to more sensitive readers, but it is a key part of the buildup to the story's climax. The emotions of the child and the monster are clearly shown in the subtle colored pencil and ink illustrations. As it happens, the monster isn't so scary when the youngster confronts him; in fact, it is just searching for a friend. Although the message of the underdog-turned-hero theme is nothing new, Eric! is a sweet addition to the genre. Abundant speech bubbles and dialogue, paired with large-scale illustrations, make this a good candidate for group storytime.—Nora Clancy, Teachers College Community School, New York City