Making Monster Stew in Monster Mischief!
Written: Oct 09 '06 (Updated Sep 15 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: ● Witty illustrations & text
● Not scary
Cons: ● Positioning of the text
● Out of print
The Bottom Line: If you're looking for a non-violent Halloween read, look no further.
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| marybatson's Full Review: |
I’m usually late when it comes to perusing the library shelves for Halloween books, but this year I got lucky. The children’s section in the main library in Phoenix was being remodeled the last weeks of September, so when I ambled in last week, I thought I was in heaven. I found 3 carts loaded with Halloween books! I checked out a horde of them, and Monster Mischief was one I wish I had found years ago.
On Halloween, for trick or treat,
two monsters mixed a stew to eat.
They mixed it in a garbage can
and laughed about their clever plan
for making monster stew.
Each monster adds a special treat for the Halloween stew. More monster friends enter the scene, and bring something tasty for the brew: a frog, a spider, a lizard, and a bat. A young monster spills the stew, and all the monsters go boo hoo. Another monster saves the day and introduces a delightful meal of trick-or-treat candy. The monster party into the night, but best of all the frog, the spider, the lizard, and the bat take flight and escape from the monster stew.
I was instantly drawn to this book by the happy cover page. The monsters are dancing cheerfully, and it offers a glimpse of what's to come. It’s simple, but effective, and if you’re looking for a fun, non-scary Halloween book, the wide grinning monsters will set you curious. The text is amusing and colorful, and bounces throughout the pages. There are only 32-sentences in this book, so an attentive 3-years old will appreciate the tale.
The illustrations are friendly and non-violent. The monsters are hairy, spotted, green, and blue, but there’s no blood and guts in Monster Mischief. The pictures are bright and colorful watercolor renderings that convey the story with humor, and merriment. The expressions are marvelous, and I especially love the page when the monsters display their sadness for spilled monster stew. They all look miserable, and some are even rubbing their growling tummies, yet the jack-o-lanterns grin in the background bringing some fun to the scene. Vera Rosenberry, the illustrator, is a talented artist, but this work is a little flat for my taste. It lacks the details and varied shading I admire in other Halloween works such as Fright Night Flight, and Halloween Night by Arden Druce.
That said, my kid could care less about the tame illustrations. William adores this book! He’s five, and although he is the target market for this work, I think the recommended 3 to 8-years is stretching it. 3 to 6-years is more accurate as they have the maturity to enjoy the wit, and the patience to listen to all 32 sentences, but an 8-year old would be bored. William laughs at the pictures, and asks us to read it over, and over again. He especially likes it when Moe, the littlest monster, splits his pants. It always produces a giggle, or two. It's also quite important to him that the animals escape from the stew. He wants to discuss those details at nearly every reading, which tells me he's really listening, and taking the whole story in. Unfortunately, this title only seems to be available in hardcover, and it's out-of-print, so there's little chance it'll come available in the more affordable softcover format.
My only complaint about Monster Mischief is the writing, or more appropriately, the positioning of the text. For instance, the author goes to the trouble to rhyming the passages, and then throws in “for making monster stew” at the end of each poem. Read the verse above, and you’ll see what I mean. When I read this book, I complete the verse, and then add the sentence, “To make monster stew!” or “They’re making monster stew!" I think it stresses the beat of the poems, and the repetition is emphasized when altering the phrasing that way.
Overall, a GREAT book that little pumpkins will enjoy at Halloween, or throughout the year!
ISBN: 0-689-80471-7
Atheneum (September 1, 2001)
This is an entry into msmorvay’s 4th Annual Resurrecting the Oldies Book Write Off.
Additional Halloween Treats:
Skeleton Hiccups
Somethin' Pumpkin
Dragon's Halloween
Sheep Trick or Treat
The Runaway Pumpkin
Mouse's First Halloween
Halloween Night by Arden Druce
Halloween Night by Elizabeth Hatch
Halloween Mis-Treat:
Happy Halloween, Biscuit!
The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin
Recommended:
Yes
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marybatson
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Member: Mary
Location: Phoenix
Reviews written: 169
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About Me:
We are all apt to believe what the world believes about us.
George Eliot
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