Meaniehead

Gr 1–3—Henry and Eve, the expressively drawn protagonists from Monsters Eat Whiny Children (S. & S., 2010), are back for a new adventure. This time, instead of whining, the children are in a "new, terrible phase of fighting with each other all the time." Their battle quickly escalates from the plausible breaking of their mother's favorite lamp to the regrettable action of leveling the Grand Canyon and continues until they end up destroying the whole world and floating alone in space. In the emptiness of space, they decide they are done fighting and drift off hand-in-hand, "Ready for their next adventure." As with Monsters, readers who do not appreciate dark humor will likely find this book strange and off-putting, but this title lacks the tongue-in-cheek charm that makes the previous book appealing and successful. The children are the villains here instead of the bumbling monsters, and their bad behavior has no counterpoint to make them relatable. At the end, they simply decide to stop fighting because they want to, continuing their selfishness. Aside from the extreme escalation of the fight, the story follows a static, predictable course without a satisfying or clever resolution. The heavy line drawings with watercolor washes are emotive and suited to the text, but since the story takes place in a world full of negative emotions, they ultimately make the children seem even more unsympathetic. Most libraries will be comfortable sticking with Henry and Eve's first adventure and passing on this one.—Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN