When you have two powerhouse writers and illustrators like R. L. Stine and Marc Brown, you figure you will have a homerun out of the park hit. Um. Sorry, not this time. Oh, I am not saying Why Did the Monster Cross the Road? was not good, it just was not a huge win for me. Some of the jokes were amusing (Why did the Monster cross the road? To bite someone on the other side) but not all of them (What did the monster say after eating the dog? Hi, Dog).
Still, the idea of trying to help a friend by telling jokes is a good idea. And I have a feeling my youngest nephew would have liked this as a three to seven-year-old. I would lean towards this is a stereotypical boy humor book (there is a burp) but of course, it is genderless. Two monster friends, Funny (tall) and Hunny (short), are our main characters. One day Hunny is sad and grumpy and none of Funny’s jokes are working to cheer them up. Of course, a little slapstick to the rescue (even if by accident) saves the day and makes Hunny smile and laugh.
The art of Brown is both in their signature style and but also, I was not completely aware it was him until I saw “R. L. Stine and Marc Brown” as the creatures, I mean creators. The illustrations are sweet, funny, and simple, but not simplistic. There is a decent filing with the details and the colors are not muted but not overwhelming.
