Mini Monday #34

 

Mini Monday: Where my son and I do two “mini” reviews on two children’s books. Each book will get a Thumbs up, Middle Thumb, or Thumbs down rating!

The Z was Zapped: A Play in Twenty-six Acts by Chris Van Allsburg
Hardcover, 56 pages
Published October 26th 1998 by Sandpiper
Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

A dramatic black-and-white presentation of the alphabet in which the two-time Caldecott Medalist depicts a mysterious transformation of each letter.

This was a very interesting way to portray the entire alphabet. Each page contains only a portrait view of the letter on the stage and then on the back of the page it tells what is happening to it. My son had fun trying to figure out what it was going to say. All of the pictures are in black and white, which added to the ambiance of the book. This is a very serious book and some of the things that are happening to the letters are rather dark. I.e.: The B was badly Bitten. The K was quietly kidnapped.

The last page of the story is a blank red page which I assume is supposed to represent the red curtain dropping. I thought that was neat addition.

I picked up this book because this is the same author that wrote The Polar Express, which is pretty well-known classic children’s book, one of my brother’s favorites actually. I will be keeping my eyes open for more books by this author and I suggest anyone who has a younger child learning the alphabet to pick this up!

My Rating:

 

Monsters Eat Whiny Children by Bruce Eric Kaplan
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published August 31st 2010 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

Dad has warned Henry and Eve: If you whine too much, monsters will eat you. Henry and Eve don’t listen, of course. The only problem is, when the monster comes, he can’t find the right recipe for whiny children—and neither can his monster friends! A whiny child salad doesn’t work because there’s paprika in the dressing. A whiny child cake won’t do because the flour spills all over the floor. And whiny child burgers are out of the question because the grill is too hard to light up. Arguments and hilarity ensue. And just when our persnickety monsters decide on the perfect dish…the worst thing of all happens….

 

 

Well I saw this book sitting on the top shelf at the library and immediately snatched it up. I just couldn’t pass up a book with that title! I showed my son and he seemed a little nervous but wanted to read it. Now after reading it I will say I’m do not think this book is for every kid; most parents will probably get a chuckle out of it but I could see some kids being a little scared. Not necessarily by the book itself but by the message of monsters eating whiny children.

My son wasn’t scared of it but I do think he got a little bored during the story. He really didn’t have too much to say about the story when it was finished. He was more interested in the map that was printed on the inside of the front and back covers. He actually really liked that part.

Pretty much the whole story is about a family of monsters yelling about how they are going to eat the children while the children are playing in the corner. I wasn’t a big fan of the artwork and I don’t think my son was either.  It was an ok book overall but if this book doesn’t sound that great to you then I would say go ahead and pass on this one.

My Rating: