BLAND, Nick Monster Chef Scholastic, 2014 unpaged $24.99 ISBN 9781742838267 SCIS 1675359
Marcel the Monster has mastered most of the skills needed to do his job – to scare little kids before bedtime. However, Marcel is the object of scorn from other monsters because somehow he just isn’t scary enough. Consoling himself with some recreational cooking at home, Marcel eventually learns some new tricks by which to frighten the children – and take revenge on those other jeering monsters. With lively illustrations and engaging verse, this rollicking tale by the versatile Nick Bland should engage both parents and kids in multiple re-readings to take the dread out of bedtime by making fun of those monsters. Great fun for early childhood readers (and their parents).
reviewed by Chlöe Mauger