Title: The Monstore
Author: Tara Lazar
Illustrator: James Burks
Publisher: Aladdin Books, 2013
Book Type: Fiction
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Monsters, Siblings
Opening Lines:
“At the back of Frankensweet’s Candy Shoppe, under the last box of sour gum balls, there’s a trapdoor.
Knock five times fast, hand over a bag of squirmy worms, and you can crawl inside … THE MONSTORE.”
Synopsis (from Amazon website):
The Monstore is the place to go for all of your monsterly needs. Which is perfect, since Zack definitely has a monsterly need. The problem? His pesky little sister, Gracie, who never pays attention to that “Keep Out” sign on Zack’s door—the one he has made especially for her.
But when Zack’s monsters don’t exactly work as planned, he soon finds out that the Monstore has a few rules: No Refunds. No exchanges. No exceptions.
Why I Like this Book:
When you have read as many picture books as I have, after a while they start to seem the same. This book is TRULY original, the only thing this book reminded me is one of my favorite movies Monsters, Inc and that is just because of the colorful, diverse, wacky monsters (not to worry, the stories are completely different). Look at monsters aren’t they amazing!
Debut author Tara Lazar has written a FUN, FUN, FUN read. The only way a kid won’t love this book is if they hate monsters, actually nope maybe not even that. What is this book about? – a trapdoor, monsters for sale, a horrible return policy, and a simple story about a brother and a sister that will make you smile.
I love the characters. They are exceptional from Zack who keeps claiming his monsters are broken, to brave, playful Gracie who loves her new friends, and lastly the manager with poor customer service. I love the humor it is off the charts as the text and illustrations play together perfectly. In this scene below the text starts with “So Zack kept buying .. and trying .. and buying …” which is just heightened with this artwork of a colossal party in Zack’s room. Plus who doesn’t love a monster with underwear on his head.
So grab this book and maybe this “glow in the dark” monster and settle in for a monsterly cooky ride.
For a chance to win a signed copy of this awesome book. Leave a comment by June 25th 9pm PST stating what type of monster you could use. And remember the rules: No monster comment, No entry, No exceptions.
Disclosure: I received my copy of this book from the publisher Aladdin Books. This review nevertheless reflects my own and honest opinion about the book.
If you would like to hear from author Tara Lazar, check this interview where she discusses how parents and picture book authors can use Storybird, a digital platform for creating stories.
Flowering Minds 