Leo's Monster is a cute, little story with absolutely marvelous pictures!

There's tow little mice, Leo and Zoe, who lead the show in this book. Leo visits Zoe and comes across a giant monster (and to be clear, it's NOT the cat). As Leo tells his story about the scary and insane monster, Zoe keeps butting in and trying to give some descriptions. Will Leo ever tell Zoe about this monster? Will the monster be taken care of?! What sort of animal is this monster?!

I have to start out saying the pictures blew me away. I love wonderful art that works well with a story, and this book hit it out of the park! The soft, fuzzy and colourful pictures were A grade. There's so much texture and it works really well! I don't think every reader will like this art style, but it stood out to me. This type of style isn't common in the books that I've read and seen.

The plot itself was super goofy and lots of fun. I would say that this book is designed for fun and not education purposes. Either way, I think it would be a great reading buddy read or for parents to pick up and have a chuckle with their kids. The book is super cute and full of personality.

The word "suspenseful" has been thrown around about this book, and I would agree - suspenseful in the cutest way possible. I'm sure the kids who read this will be on the edge of their seat trying to figure out what kind of monster Leo has seen!

Overall, this book is cute, fun and spunky! I would highly recommend it for kids who just want to have a good laugh.

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free via NetGalley. ( )

Review of eBook

The imaginative illustrations are the highlight of this book; in addition, the idea of the city mouse discovering a frightening “monster” on his visit to the country is cute. And, as the story unfolds, Zoe’s calmness nicely counteracts Leo’s fright.

But the message in this story isn’t one for young children. There’s Leo’s sarcasm [“If it had spit fire, I’d hardly be standing here now, would I?”], an attitude that’s so out of place in a story that’s supposed to mystify and entertain young readers. And why does Zoe tease Leo [“Did it spit fire?” and “Oh come on, now you really are exaggerating!”] when he’s so frightened? She is supposed to be Leo’s friend . . . why isn’t she even a little sympathetic in the face of his obvious fear? Sure, she knows the monster isn’t really a monster, but it’s as if she’s having mean-spirited fun at her friend’s expense.

Written for the young reader [preschool through second grade, ages four through eight], most are likely to guess the true nature of the monster long before the big reveal that abruptly ends this disappointing story.

I received a free copy of this eBook from North South Books Incorporated and NetGalley
#LeosMonster #NetGalley ( )

I received this ARC in exchange from Edelweiss+ in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Leo is a city mouse who has come to visit his friend, Zoe, in the country. He has never been out of the city so he has never seen a field, nor country animals. Zoe sends him outside to explore while she bakes a cake. When she goes out to find him, he comes running. He's scared out of his wits and tells her he's seen a monster. As he describes this horrific monster, Zoe jokingly suggests other descriptive words. What is this monster he's discovered??

My 5 yr old grandson is always involved when I'm reviewing children's books. After all, whether or not the children dislike, like or love a book is the most important factor isn't it? My little guy giggled throughout the book. So I'm taking that as a good sign. I too loved the book. ( )

When a city mouse visits a country mouse he is sure to find new and strange thing. In particular a giant stinking grass loving monster. This enormous beast is sure to spread fear in any reader, unless they can figure it out before the end of the story. Pfister has been around forever, and his stories bring smiles to millions of faces. He puts his great mind to bring a mystery to the youngest that is both fun and educational. And the illustrations are great. They have bright colors and textures that are sure to please any reader. ( )