Kings of the Castle

K-Gr 2—George is a young monster who doesn't want to waste his night doing the usual monster activities. Instead, he goes out to the beach with his dog, Boris, to "build a sand castle that would turn any monster green with envy." As they build their sand structure, a strange, dragonlike creature with fins and who walks on two legs emerges from the sea and introduces itself to George and Boris. After an amusing yet ultimately failed attempt at communicating with each other, George and the creature find out that they have things in common and realize that they do not have to be afraid of those who seem different. Their newfound friendship yields a gigantic, eye-popping sand sculpture that requires a gatefold to fit it all on the spread. This is a funny and uplifting story of taking a chance on a new friend and the rewards of a little patience and tenacity. Turnbull's colored pencil illustrations are bright, with a little bit of haze perfectly capturing the moonlight bathing the sand and the ocean.