Gilbert y sus horripilantes criaturas

K-Gr 2—This catalogue of creepy creatures centers on Gilbert and his insensitive mother. All of these beasties are hidden in every nook and cranny of his formidable home. Deciding that Gilbert is old enough to be left alone, his mother callously departs for the pharmacy. Before he can protest, the door slams shut. Gilbert can practically hear the distant gnashing of teeth. What's worse, he has to go to the bathroom. How is he to safely navigate through the perilous corridors? He must make allies. The rhinoceros is the perfect choice, but where is he? Down the list Gilbert goes, but none of the animals can be found. At last, he makes it to the bathroom, bare-bottomed and directly under a wild, dangling poisonous spider! After a hair-raising moment, Gilbert realizes that he has finally found an ally—at least until Mom gets home. Hula's spot-on tale about overcoming fears—real or imaginary—and forging ahead to personal triumph is smartly accompanied by Muszynski's predominantly dusky purple watercolors. The ominous shadows teem with skulking terrors, and Gilbert's expressive eyebrows convey his every emotion. However, the small font size makes it difficult to enjoy this otherwise excellent story.