Leonardo is terrible at being a monster—he’s not scary at all. So he decides to be something else instead. This book, by the author/illustrator of DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS, is also narrated by him. Willems pulls out all the stops to entertain young listeners. His characterizations range from that of the grand ringmaster, who presents the different monsters, to failed little Leonardo, who looks like a mild-mannered relative of Sendak's famous monster. Willems's fun vocalizations are enhanced by the production’s expressive musical riffs, which suggest the emotions behind the simple illustrations. A large picture book with a small story, this tale is for audiences "as young as 3 and as old as 36." J.C.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
There is nothing like a first best friend. This friend might be a classmate or a cousin or even a stuffed animal! In fact, for many of us, our first friend was not human. This is certainly the case for the kids featured in the following picture books. Each book tells the story of a […]
As it turns out, it was my size that gave me the idea for my debut children’s book, The Hugely-Wugely Spider. One night, while I was singing the Itsy-Bitsy Spider to my then 3-year-old son, I imagined the Itsy-Bitsy Spider and all his friends having the time of their lives, running up and down the […]
Willems’ newest book, Sam, the Most Scaredy-cat Kid in the Whole World, is a companion to his hilarious Leonardo the Terrible Monster, and it’s on B&N bookshelves now. Mo Willems was such an incredible sport to let my kids ask him a few of the burning questions that all of us superfans have about his books, […]