With Halloween coming soon, it’s
time to sit down with a cup of hot cider and enjoy this silly, wry take on Ludwig Bemelmans' beloved Madeline books that should make everyone including
adults laugh out loud. Author Rick Walton’s use of the pen name Ludworst
Bemonster* adds to the fun while Nathan Hale’s childlike illustrations evoke typical
preschooler fantasies of what monsters should
look like.
The book opens with these lines:
In a creepy old
castle all covered with spines,
Lived twelve ugly monsters in two crooked lines
In two crooked lines, they bonked their heads,
Pulled out their teeth and wet their beds.
Lived twelve ugly monsters in two crooked lines
In two crooked lines, they bonked their heads,
Pulled out their teeth and wet their beds.
The book goes on to note that:
The ugliest one was Frankenstein.
He scared people out of
their socks.
He could even frighten
rocks.
This
parody will make little boys whoop with laughter. It’s just “scary” enough for them to love but not so frightening that it’d cause nightmares. Girls who love Madeline will enjoy it, too,
but I’d buy it for boys.
If
I were teaching preschool or kindergarten, I’d use this as a story starter and
let the kids create their own monster books based on a slew of rhyming favorites
I’d set out for them to peruse. I’d also encourage them to make their own
crooked lines and walk like their favorite monsters might.
Ages four and up
Summing it Up: Enjoy the Halloween season with this silly, "scary" parody of the Madeline books. Give it to your favorite preschool or kindergarten-aged boy.
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Peanut Butter and Jelly
Publication date: July 17, 2012
What Others are Saying:
Publishers Weekly: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-55366-1
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