What's the definition of insanity? When you keep trying the same thing and expecting a different result. Well, sometimes it takes us longer than just a couple of tries to realize something is not going to work out. In Monstore, it takes Zack several trips to the store to finally accept that the monsters are not going to keep his little sister, Gracie, out of his room. But now he has a house full of monsters and no room for himself. So, with the help of an unexpected ally, he makes the best of it. The furry monsters in this book are the cutest, and the resolution is great, but I thought having as a key point of the plot the fact that you can't return something a little bizarre. Welcome to the Monstore, where any monster can be yours. These creatures of the night are useful for any number of things, like scaring a sister. For brothers it could be very beneficial to own one, if they were any good at this.Turning each page brings new surprises, unpredictability is what makes this narrative fun. At regular intervals rhyme is used to hold a child's interest when the owner declares "no returns", which gives some stability to the structure. Onomatopoeic words are barely present, and these are usually a staple of "scary" picture books; atmosphere is not given a lot of presence. In the final third of the book some delicious descriptive words appear, and it is a shame they were not used throughout, as they compliment the kooky art style really well.With such a creative setting. this title could have been truly great if it had a bit more consistency to its written component.
What do You think about The Monstore (2013)?
Loved it! Good for Halloween, sibling rivalry and just all over fun themes.
—tess
The story was pretty meh, but the pictures were very cute.
—JOe
