Spike, The Mixed-up Monster (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
This book is great. It has Spanish words in the book which is great for kids when they beginning to learn Spanish. Also, I love that the end of the book are pictures of the animals in real life and gives much more information about Spike and his Amigos. We can talk about where Spike lives in a lake in Mexico, and where we live in relation to Spike. We can talk about why some of the animals reacted the way they did to Spike's trying to be a monster. Hood, S., & Sweet, M. (2012). Spike: The mixed-up monster. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Spike is too dang cute. The rest of the animals ooh and ah at his adorable smile while Spike is busy putting on his fiercest monster impression. Then one day a real monster shows up and everyone else scatters. This book sneaks up on you. My first read through was almost ho-hum until the last couple pages where I learned Spike and the rest of the characters are real life animals. Instantly my son was hooked. Each subsequent read turned more dramatic and the few Spanish words pronounced with ridiculous flair. The illustrations also sneak up on you. If your little one is into animals or monsters, take a chance on this book. We love it!
What do You think about Spike, The Mixed-up Monster (2012)?
This was a good story. And, I enjoyed how it introduced readers to new Spanish words.
—marcianita
