Monsters in the Fog

by Ali Bahrampour

Overview

A donkey’s trip up the mountain turns eerie when he encounters “monsters” along the way in Monsters in the Fog, a humorous, suspenseful picture book about challenging first impressions.
 
Hakim is traveling up the mountain to visit his friend Daisy, but the fog is so thick that he can’t see the road ahead. Then an old goat appears out of nowhere and delivers a sinister warning: “Beware! Beware! There are monsters up there!”
 
Hakim trots with caution, until he hears an awful groan, growing closer and closer. And out of the mist comes the strangest creature Hakim has ever seen . . . Is Hakim doomed? Or are things not always what they seem?
 
In this clever story about how appearances can be deceiving, author/illustrator Ali Bahrampour reminds us that everyone looks like a monster in the fog—until you get closer.
 
* “The cartoonish humor of the drawings provides a perfect counterpart to the calm, concise language of the tale’s spare sentences, much as Hakim’s steady resolve provides counterpoint to the jitters of his companions.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647002046
Publisher:	Abrams
Publication date:	06/14/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	28 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ali Bahrampour grew up in Tehran, Iran, and the United States. He was a 2011 recipient of the Sendak Fellowship for picture book artists and is the author-illustrator of A Pig in the Palace. He lives in New York City with his family.

Editorial Reviews

05/02/2022

“It’s hard to knit a sweater with your hooves,” writes Bahrampour (A Pig in the Palace) in the irresistible opening to this parable about curiosity versus fear, “but Hakim somehow did it.” Now the orange donkey is headed up the mountain to give it to his friend Daisy, who lives at the tippy-top. But the narrow, twisting road is shrouded in fog, and an old goat soon warns Hakim that monsters are afoot. Hakim spots a strange beast with a square head and glaring eyes, but it’s just a dog struggling to carry building materials, a load that Hakim offers to carry in his saddlebags as they continue their journey. More travelers join in the same manner: the pen, ink, and watercolor drawings portray something ghoulish in the fog, which then turns out to be nothing more than, say, a pig carrying umbrellas. Bahrampour has one more surprise for readers before the fog burns away, but the book’s meaning is unmistakable, and even urgent: snap judgments and trepidation are no way to move forward in the world. “Everything looks like a monster in the fog,” Hakim says. “But the closer you get, the less scary it becomes.” Ages 4–8. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"The watercolor illustrations are dramatically composed, full of humor, and punctuated with mysterious glowing fog. A book that is perfect for storytime and, with its clean design and accessible text, also for new readers."

The Horn Book Magazine

"Plays on viewer expectations, but the real fun comes from the opportunity to guess what the fog illusions really are at storytime."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

**STARRED REVIEW**
"The cartoonish humor of the drawings provides a perfect counterpart to the calm, concise language of the tale’s spare sentences, much as Hakim’s steady resolve provides counterpoint to the jitters of his companions. With a subtle moral—everything is a monster in the fog—that is rendered playfully but is still thought-provoking."

—School Library Journal

"Plays on viewer expectations, but the real fun comes from the opportunity to guess what the fog illusions really are at storytime." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"The watercolor illustrations are dramatically composed, full of humor, and punctuated with mysterious glowing fog. A book that is perfect for storytime and, with its clean design and accessible text, also for new readers." —The Horn Book Magazine

"'It’s hard to knit a sweater with your hooves,' writes Bahrampour (A Pig in the Palace) in the irresistible opening to this parable about curiosity versus fear, 'but Hakim somehow did it,'. . .he book’s meaning is unmistakable, and even urgent: snap judgments and trepidation are no way to move forward in the world." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 06/24/2022

PreS-Gr 1—Hakim the donkey sets out on a journey up a mountain to deliver a hoof-knit sweater he has made for his friend Daisy. As Hakim begins his ascent and realizes that it is especially foggy, he encounters a goat who issues a dire warning about monsters on the mountain. Hakim remains undeterred, continuing his slow way up. As he climbs, he meets other animals whom he mistakes for monsters at first, but who turn out to be other scared travelers. Banding together with a dog, a pig, and even a tricycle-riding bear, Hakim gets to the summit, only to be confused for a monster by his friend Daisy, who also may not be what readers expect. Reminiscent of William Steig's style, Bahrampour's pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations are funny and expressive, wonderfully capturing the suspense of the journey, alarm at every encounter, and relief with a surprise twist at the end. The cartoonish humor of the drawings provides a perfect counterpart to the calm, concise language of the tale's spare sentences, much as Hakim's steady resolve provides counterpoint to the jitters of his companions. VERDICT With a subtle moral—everything is a monster in the fog—that is rendered playfully but is still thought-provoking, this is a delightful and recommended addition to most collections.—Yelena Voysey

School Library Journal