The great monster hunt

PreS-Gr 2-When Duck awakens to the sound of "pshh pshh!" coming from under her bed, she is too afraid to look. She calls from her window to Pig and tells him about the scary "pshh pshh, grrr!" sound. The porker goes to fetch Bear, who is strong, and tells of the sound. Soon Wolf and clever Owl are added to the group, and the noise has gotten much longer and more menacing. Owl declares Duck in danger, and Pig is convinced that only a monster would make such a sound. Once monster-catching tools have been gathered, the group makes its way to Duck's bed, where they discover a tiny mouse snoring underneath. They all giggle as Owl announces that they've "made a monster out of a mouse!" Landa's suspenseful (but not too scary) text is fun to read, especially the alarming sounds, which are set in large type and a multitude of fonts. Warnes's illustrations bring the text to life with apt expressions and a sense of urgency. As the story progresses, the artist subtly tracks the passage of time with the rising of the sun-a nice touch. Great for reading out loud.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.