It is that time of year again: New reader copies. And two that found their way to my reading desk were a picture book called Baby Monster and an early reader called I Want to Sleep Under the Stars! (Unlimited Squirrels V03). They have nothing in common except I read them the same day and knew a 250 review each would be hard.
Andrea Pfeiffer created Monster Baby. It is an amusing and rhyming text story about a couple (of scientists) who made a bundle of monster. With all the joys that come from a baby monster: crying, stinky poop diapers, wailing, picking eating and a very crude first word. Everything a baby is or could be. And Erin Barker illustrated this story. The illustrations are cartoon with some humorous examples for the text. Reminiscent in some ways of Jamie Lee Curtis and her book about being a baby, this might be a good baby shower gift for the parent letting them know about the real poop about babies.
And of course, Mo Willems has a book about squirrels. I Want to Sleep Under the Stars is a combination of non-fiction done as fiction. Humor mixed with facts about stars, squirrels and more come alive. And his story shows that with these squirrel friends, who needs enemies? Well, when one squirrel wants to sleep under the stars (to have some peace and quiet) his friends try and help, but some miscommunications cause some interesting results. Puns in text, little acorn emojis to follow the emotions of said squirrels and facts about stars all wrapped up in an easy to read (but adaptable to multiple ages) semi-graphic novel/early reader.
Both books are fun but not for every reader but are books that every reader could find something to enjoy.