The most terrible of all

Smugg, a fluffy purple monster with three horns and a fanged underbite, is confident in his horribleness. Every morning, he asks his magic mirror who the most terrible monster of all is, and every morning, his mirror agrees that it's Smugg. But then one morning, horrible news: ""Ugly Smuggly, my foaming nuggly / you are pretty terrible, it's true. But . . . / another has arrived next door, another who's / a million times more terrible than you."" Well! Smugg is not about to let that slide. He marches next door to dozens of monsters, each more terrible than the last. But which is the most terrible? Everyone points him in the same direction: to a tiny little baby monster. Smugg is convinced he can be more terrible than she is, but as she rips books, writes on walls, and says bad words, he finds it surprisingly difficult to keep up. Myers' chaotic acrylic-and-oil illustrations capture the high energy of the monsters. Young readers and especially new siblings will find some kindred spirits here.--Maggie Reagan Copyright 2019 Booklist

A monster discovers that another creature's horribleness just might outshine his.Smugg, a horned, furry, purple monster, consults his magic mirror each day to confirm that he is the "most terrible one of all." True to his name, he revels in his status and is troubled when one morning the mirror confides that a new arrival next door is "a million times more terrible." Charging into the neighbors' house, he confronts the beasts he finds there, but each denies being the most terrible. Then siblings Jaws and Claws point him in the right direction: upstairs to see their new sister. What follows is a takedown of mammoth proportions as the big-eyed, blue-spotted baby misbehaves mightily. The over-the-top actions pictured are made all the more humorous by the deadpan delivery of the text. Rhyming couplets and internal rhymes are interspersed throughout, and a few nonsense words appear, but much of the narrative unfolds in simple declarative sentences. The illustrations, created in acrylic and oil, emphasize the ooey, gooey textures of slime and drool and the sharp, shiny claws, fangs, and horns, but visual jokes, bright colors, and vaguely retro details keep things more amusing than alarming.This monster mashup of a new-baby story and a creepy-creature competition doesn't necessarily break new ground, but it's likely to scare up a few giggles all the same. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.