The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Lundgren, Mary Beth , Lundgren, Mary Beth

Seven Scary Monsters

32 pp. | Clarion | August, 2003 | Trade ISBN 0-395-88913-8 $$15.00

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Howard Fine & Howard Fine. With a rhymed text and a refrain repeated in large print, this countdown story falls a little flat. While amusing details appear (the monsters are seen reading, hanging from the ceiling fan, and diving into the turtle tank) in the intensely colored art, the language just doesn't fly. "Rick! Rack! Wrinkleshack! / Don't you dare come back!" seems like an odd mantra to make a monster disappear.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt