Nessie

An outing to catch the Loch Ness Monster leaves a sensitive child protagonist questioning the term monster in this riff on the Scottish legend. On a day out, Rhona's fame- and fortune-hunting uncle Allister (who's "a little odd, but also a lot of fun") plans to lure fabled beast Nessie using pancakes as bait. After the duo systematically surrounds their boat with floating flapjacks, Allister's project seems destined for failure. But when Rhona alone encounters a gentle creature with "big, warm eyes, like those of a horse," the heroine's perspective on the outing shifts, and she begins working against her relative's questionable aims. Martens's artwork uses fine lines to foreground the figures against foggy lake scenes washed with layers of moody color, while lengthy paragraphs from De Keyzer provide a mystical meditation on making assumptions and connections. Human characters are portrayed with pale skin. Ages 6--11. (Sept.)

Does the Loch Ness monster eat pancakes? Young Rhona is about to find out. Her beloved, if eccentric, uncle Allister's plan to lure the legendary creature out of hiding hinges on the sweet breakfast treat--surely the monster won't be able to resist Allister's pancakes? When Rhona accompanies him out onto the loch in his fishing boat, she finds herself in just the right spot for a wondrous encounter. Martens sets the stage properly with misty views of a boat just large enough to have an enclosed galley, floating over kaleidoscopic wavelets and shadows that underscore senses of great depth and otherworldly realms just beyond sight. Fortuitously, Rhona is alone on the deck when the loch's immense but peaceable resident actually does rear up, close enough to lock eyes with Rhona and share a moment of intimate connection before slipping away while the child distracts her oblivious uncle. Allister has long been a believer and has frequently regaled his niece with tales of sightings, but in the wake of her questions about whether monsters are real (and even if they are, why anyone would want to catch one), he eventually admits that perhaps she's right to be skeptical. Attentive readers of this tale, translated from Dutch, will note that while Rhona now believes in monsters, her belief that they deserve their freedom remains unwavering. She and her uncle are light-skinned. A magical moment, enhanced by strongly atmospheric illustrations.(Picture book. 6-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.