Review #76: Mostly Monsterly

Gracie (age 10):  "Mostly Monsterly" by Tammi Sauer and Scott Magoon.
Lily (age 7):  It's cute.
Gracie:  Hilarious.
Lily:  Bernadette is a monster who isn't very much like a monster.  She could be like a monster, but she doesn't want to be like a monster.
Gracie:  She's blue with freaky hair and really big eyes.  And horns.  And fangs.  She's cute.  For a monster.  But if I saw a kid like that, I'd freak out.
Isaac (age 12):  She can be mean like a monster, but she also likes to do other stuff.  Like picking flowers and making cupcakes and singing songs.  She doesn't really have feelings like a monster.
Gracie:  The book says that Bernadette was nervous when she got to her new school.  But anyone would be nervous at that school.  There are teeth on the gate.
Isaac:  At the monster school she messes everything up.
Gracie:  She's really nice even though she's supposed to be gross.  Nobody likes her because she's not gross.  She sings "Love Me Tender" and gives everyone cupcakes.  But the monsters are like, "Ew! Yuck!"
Lily:  She's too nice.  Everyone else is mean because they are monsters.  Monsters like to eat and growl and scratch.  They like to eat eyeballs.
Gracie:  And bug parts.
Lily:  And fish heads dipped in goo.
Isaac:  Gut blubber.
Dad:  Yech.
Gracie:  Finally she makes everyone cards.  But they are yucky cards, so everyone gives her a big piled-up group hug.  Everybody is dog-piling on top of her.  I think that picture is awesome because there are so many monsters.
Dad:  What did you think about the writing in this book?
Gracie:  The story is hilarious.
Dad:  What's hilarious about it?
Gracie:  Fried snail goo.
Lily:  Eyeball guts.
Gracie:  Eyeballs dipped in hotsauce.
Dad:  Hilarious?  Or disgusting?
Isaac:  Hilarious because it's disgusting.
Dad:  What did you think of the illustrations in this book?
Isaac:  The art is cartoony and simplified.  But not to the point where it is too simple.  Like, the illustrator doesn't really blend the colors together.  They're flat.
Gracie:  But he also puts in lots of details.  Like, you can see the little strands of hair and the little fur on her hands and tail.
Isaac:  So some parts are simplified and some parts are --
Gracie:  Compli-fied.
Dad:  What did you think of the art, Lily?
Lily:  The monsters don't have too big of heads.  Except for one guy.
Gracie:  The monster designs are cute.
Dad:  Do you have a favorite creature?
Lily:  Bernadette is my favorite.
Isaac:  I love that guy!  Goat weirdie!  Goat weirdie!
Gracie:  My favorite guy is a little yellow circle with fly's wings.  One eye.  No mouth.
Isaac:  It's a one-eyed bumblebee.
Lily:  It's cute.
Isaac:  A monster can be anything.
Lily:  What if you could make yourself into whatever kind of monster you wanted to?
Isaac:  My hands would be covered in those little sticky pads like lizards or salamanders have so I could climb up walls.  And I would have horns.  And an extra arm.
Gracie:  I'd give myself 12 arms.
Lily:  I'd make myself just like that little bumblebee thingie.
Gracie:  I love Bernadette's personality.  You can connect to Bernadette.  Actually, each monster has its own personality.  Everyone can find one to connect to.
Dad:  Why, which monster are you most like?
Gracie:  That little bug thing.
Dad:  So guys, how would you sum up this book?
Isaac:  The writing is a mash of monsterlicious mayhem.
Dad:  And the art style?
Gracie:  It's pretty awesome.  It makes my eyes pop right out of my head.
Dad:  The monsters should like that.  Then they can have a snack.
Gracie:  Oh.  Yuck.

Lily meets a monster, by Lily

Goat Weirdie and a scary cupcake, by Isaac

Bernadette and little Bug Thing, by Gracie

Author: Tammi Sauer
Illustrator: Scott Magoon
Published, 2010: Simon and Schuster
Like it?  Here it is

Bookie Woogie Returns!

Next Monday, November 29, Bookie Woogie is back!  All new reviews.  Every Monday morning.

If that bit of news makes you happy, we'd love it if you spread the word!

See you then, bright and early!

(And big thanks to Gracie for our announcement picture!)

Hanging Around the House

Kids tease about the goofiest things.  One day last year Gracie came inside, all upset.  A little neighbor girl told her "Most kids have posters of Hannah Montana up in their room.  You only have paintings by famous artists.  You're weird."  Well, of course we told her not to worry about things other kids say.  And we assured her that in OUR opinion, for whatever it's worth, the Z-Kids' rooms were way cooler than those decked with Hannah Montana decor.  She was mostly upset by the name calling.  She loves her room.

Inspired by the robot drawing in our previous post, I thought today I'd share some of the art that decorates the walls of our home.  Now, I would love to go out and purchase lots of original art.  I dream about it.  But like the factory guys that work day in and out assembling cars they'll never be able to afford themselves, this starving artist isn't likely to be purchasing art any time soon.  We do have some of my own pictures on our walls.  And we've been blessed - incredibly, incredibly blessed - by folks who have shared their artwork with us.  We treasure it.  I thought some of you might get a kick out of seeing a few of the things on our walls...



Signed print from "The Arrival" by Shaun Tan


Signed prints from "Little Panda" by Renata Liwska
(these hang front and center in our living room above the couch)


Original art from a Babybug magazine cover by John Sandford


Top: Original art from Babybug magazine by John Sandford
Bottom, left to right:
Original art by Mike R. Baker
Signed print by Alberto Cerriteño
Postcard by Lori Mcelrath-Eslick
Postcard by Amy Young


Original art from Ladybug magazine by John Sandford


Original sketches by Dan Santat

Update:  Here is some more artwork we've added to our walls since the original post:


Left to right:
Signed poster by Cyd Moore
Original art by Dar Hosta
Original art by Nina Crittenden


 Original art from "My Pony Jack" by Amy Young


Top to bottom:
Original sketch by Cory Godbey
Original art by Adam Rex
Original art by Jarrett Krosoczka


Top: Signed poster by Bill Thomson
Bottom, left to right:
Signed print by Grace Lin
Signed prints by Brook Boynton Hughes


Signed prints by Grace Lin

Do you have any special wall hangings you treasure? I'd love to hear about them!