Review #47: Jeremy Draws a Monster

Gracie (age 9):  "Jeremy Draws a Monster" is by Peter McCarty.
Dad:  This is a departure from his regular style.  Do you remember "Hondo and Fabian" or "T is for Terrible" or "Little Bunny on the Move"?
Gracie:  Little Bunny!  "Little Bunny, where are you going...?"
Dad:  This is that same guy.
Gracie:  Definitely a different style.
Lily (age 6):  The most fun thing about this book is the drawings.
Isaac (age 11):  Some of it is colored, some of it is just black and white.
Gracie:  Peter McCarty's drawings are totally sweetness.
Dad:  Alright, so tell me what the story was about...
Isaac:  There once was this kid named Jeremy, and he never went outside because he liked to draw.  One time when he got bored he drew a monster.
Gracie:  Jeremy had a magical pen!
Dad:  Was it a magic pen?  The book never said it was magic.  It just says "fancy pen."
Gracie:  It's got to be magic.
Dad:  I suppose so -- the monster did come to life.
Gracie:  I want a fancy pen too.
Lily:  Jeremy got in trouble -- because it's a monster!
Gracie:  The monster says, "Give me a hamburger.  Give me a sandwich.  Give me a hot dog.  Give me cake.  Give me a toaster.  I like toast.  Give me.  Give me.  Give me a fancy hat!"
Isaac:  Jeremy got angry.  And a little annoyed.  So he drew the monster a bus ticket and a suitcase and threw him on the bus.  And it drove away, never to be seen again.  Because it was only a one way ticket.
Dad:  The story kind of reminds me of you guys.
Isaac:  What do you mean?
Dad:  Mom and I made you guys.  And now you need all this stuff.  Maybe we should stick you on the bus.
Gracie:  If you did that, Mom would be sad for the rest of her days.
Lily:  When the monster leaves, there is a rainbow colored flower thing in the sky, and it is awesome.  That was my favorite part.  It was a rainbow made out of colored flowers.  (Lily starts singing) "Yeah! He's leaving because he made so much trouble... so I got him out finally! Out of the house!"
Gracie:  Jeremy finally has to go outside to put the monster on the bus, which is a cool coincidence because Jeremy finds some friends and they play ball.
Lily:  Now there is a friend.  Jeremy will always go outside now.
Gracie:  I still don't feel like the monster is gone for good.
Dad:  So what did you think of that monster?
Lily:  Greedy.
Gracie:  "Gimme, gimme, gimme.  I'm selfish, I'm selfish.  Gimme, gimme, gimme.  Blah, blah, blah."
Dad:  Can you describe what the monster looks like?
Gracie:  He's freaky.
Isaac:  He's cool.
Gracie:  Awesomeness freaky.
Lily:  He's a blue oval with freaky toes and horns.
Isaac:  And flowers all over him.
Dad:  I love his cheeks and the lines that go to his nose.  Aren't those weird?
Gracie:  Those are freaky.
Dad:  That's the coolest part!  The line that goes cheek to nose -- so cool.
Gracie:  Jeremy and the monster both have 3's on their shirts.
Dad:  I don't think the monster is wearing a shirt.
Isaac:  He's naked.
Gracie:  He's a naked monster!
Lily:  The monster has a number 3 on his belly.  Because the boy has a number 3 on his shirt.
Dad:  What do you think that means?  Why do they both have 3's?  Do you think it means that the things we create are part of ourselves?
Gracie:  No.
Dad:  Oh.
Gracie:  Jeremy's favorite number is 3.  So he wears a 3.  And he made his monster have a 3.
Dad:  That's a much simpler explanation.  I think you're probably right.  Anything else you want to say about the pictures?
Isaac:  Jeremy drew with pen -- and I think this book is probably made out of pen.
Gracie:  Guess what!  Peter McCarty made this book with his magic pen!
Dad:  So, is this a book about creativity?  Is it a book about greediness?  Or is there no lesson - is it just fun?
Gracie:  Don't be greedy or else your parents will put you on a bus.
Isaac:  I think it's about creativity.  Because Jeremy has a good imagination.
Dad:  But would it encourage creativity or discourage it?  Jeremy found himself in pretty big trouble.  Maybe the point is: Be careful what you draw?
Gracie:  Yes.  Like one time, I drew a picture, and I got punished for it.
Dad:  Yeeeeeah..... We won't describe what the picture was, will we?
Gracie:  NO!
Dad:  That's an episode of life we'd like to forget.  But we did learn there are consequences for our actions.
Gracie:  Yes, you punished me!
Dad:  Now, Jeremy's magic pen could bring things to life.  Would you guys want to have a pen like that?
Gracie:  Yes!
Dad:  But what happened when Jeremy had a pen like that?  Did it turn out good or bad?
Gracie:  It turned out bad.  But I would only draw fluffy little kitties.
Dad:  What if the fluffy little kitties were demanding?
Isaac:  Make them with no mouths.
Gracie:  Yeah - I would make them with no mouths.
Dad:  How are they going to eat stuff if they don't have mouths?
Gracie:  There's a little tube in their heads.
Dad:  What?  So you ARE making a monster!  By the time you're done describing these kitties with no mouths and tubes on top of their heads... I think you've just designed a monster!
Gracie:  Awesome!  I'm going to draw that!  Right now!
Lily:  If I had a magic pen, I would draw Evie.
Dad:  We already have baby Evie.  Would you draw her again so she could have a twin?
Lily:  Yes!
Dad:  Isaac, what would you draw if you had a pen that could bring things to life?
Isaac:  I would draw another magic pen so if the first one broke, I'd have another one.
Dad:  You'd make some backup?
Isaac:  I'd make a million magic pens.
Dad:  Where do you think the monster went on the bus?
Gracie:  Jeremy put the monster on a bus to go to a happy land of wonderness.  The monster hopped off the bus, and he saw a glorious land of magic monsters...  and my tube cat.  And he said "Look at all the butterflies. I want a sandwich!"
Dad:  Lovely.  Are there any last things you want to say about this book?
Gracie:  Draw me a sandwich!
Dad:  Anything you want to say to Peter McCarty?
Gracie:  I have words to Peter McCarty.  You should make more books like this.  This style is totally the latest look for books.

the monster wants a cookie before he goes, by Isaac

"Draw me a friend!" by Gracie

Lily draws a monster (that wants a balloon
and a sandwich), by Lily

feeding a tube-cat, by Gracie

Author/Illustrator: Peter McCarty
Published, 2009: Henry Holt
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