Today's read comes out this week and gives a nod to the upcoming Halloween season. Yes, it's still several months away, but I'm betting this one makes a fun read every time of the year...for monster fans, obviously. I'm curious to see what delicious (or not so delicious) foods are in these pages. I'm expecting they will be packed with imagination. I'm also looking forward to the flaps. I love flaps in books...even if that might be silly.
So, let's dive in and see if there's something that's worth munching on.
A MONSTER'S MEAL
With 10 deviously delicious flaps to lift
by Meritxell Marti
Illustrated by Xavier Salomo
Abrams Books for Young Readers
Picture Book / Holiday
40 pages
ages 4 to 8
COMING AUGUST 5th!!!
It’s dinnertime at the annual feast for fiends—lift the flap covering each monster’s plate to reveal the deliciously gruesome meal underneath in this grossly funny picture book. Bone Appétit!
You’re invited to the annual feast for fiends! Up on a rocky hill lies The Rotten Core Restaurant, where monsters from all over have gathered around the dinner table to enjoy the best foods the dastardly chef (and his undead maîtres d’) have to offer.
Lift the plate cover to reveal the terrifyingly tasty meal underneath. For the vampire? Chef’s famous scarlet smoothie and thinly sliced bat wings start the meal, and a few princess necks are a main course that’s to die for! For the witch? Snail-slime porridge, and an apple dipped in black widow venom for dessert!
Other monster guests include a werewolf, an ogre, a mummy, a pirate, the monster under the bed, and even the Boogeyman, all with delightfully disgusting dishes cooked perfectly to their tastes. But it might be the final guest—a small human boy—who has the most terrifying tastes of all.
With 10 sturdy flaps readers can flip up to reveal a ridiculously revolting menu underneath, this picture book is sure to have young readers laughing out loud and eager to curate a monstrous menu of their own!
You’re invited to the annual feast for fiends! Up on a rocky hill lies The Rotten Core Restaurant, where monsters from all over have gathered around the dinner table to enjoy the best foods the dastardly chef (and his undead maîtres d’) have to offer.
Lift the plate cover to reveal the terrifyingly tasty meal underneath. For the vampire? Chef’s famous scarlet smoothie and thinly sliced bat wings start the meal, and a few princess necks are a main course that’s to die for! For the witch? Snail-slime porridge, and an apple dipped in black widow venom for dessert!
Other monster guests include a werewolf, an ogre, a mummy, a pirate, the monster under the bed, and even the Boogeyman, all with delightfully disgusting dishes cooked perfectly to their tastes. But it might be the final guest—a small human boy—who has the most terrifying tastes of all.
With 10 sturdy flaps readers can flip up to reveal a ridiculously revolting menu underneath, this picture book is sure to have young readers laughing out loud and eager to curate a monstrous menu of their own!
MY TIDBITS
Exquisite dining meets monsterly peculiar dishes in disgusting and, yet, alluringly silly ways.
It's the night when the most terrible monsters meet for a feast at a high-scale, spooky restaurant. With all bells and whistles, each one is greeted and brought to the table, where their favorite delights await them. Readers lift each cover to expose the creepy and quirky food inside. But the finale holds the biggest surprise of all.
With a mix of high-class atmosphere and spooky creatures, these pages are sure to grab a few giggles and eye-brow raises. Oh, and plenty of 'yuck's, too. The story is even written in a slightly aloft style to keep airs the entire way through. This creates a slightly higher vocabulary, which will push, especially, the lower end of the intended reading group. But thanks to the rest of the quirky atmosphere and silliness, it works well in expanding those word skills. The text, however, is also on the longer side as each eerie creature is introduced right before their meal is shown. So, I would recommend this one for the slightly older end of the spectrum...or those listeners, who have a little more patience. It also works great for readers, who are sure of their words, to pick up on their own.
It's a fun read and each plate will draw attention. This makes it enjoyable for readers/listeners to pick up and discover on their own. The flaps are large and hold a menu description inside the hood to add that last dash of elegance. Some ingredients will be foreign to some listeners/readers, but that also isn't necessarily a bad thing and opens up to questions and discussions. The flaps are created with the same paper as the usual picture book pages and glued onto the page. So, these will need to be handled with some care.
It's a fun book, especially for the Halloween season, but it also works year around for monster fans, since the holiday isn't mentioned. Also, there's a fun surprise at the end to wrap everything off in just the right way.
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