Bibliography
Willems, Mo. 2005. Leonardo and the Terrible Monster. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786852941
Plot Summary
In this comical picture book, Mo Willems writes about Leonardo, a monster who is terrible, that is, terrible at being a monster. He cannot scare anyone, so in desperation, he looks to find a scaredy-cat kid to scare "the tuna salad" out of. He finds Sam, a depressed and vunerable-looking boy. After his monster act, the victim sheds a tear, not out of horror, but because he is having a very bad day. This leads Leonardo to make an unexpected decision, to be Sam's friend instead of a terrible monster.
Critical Analysis
Willem's writing is simple but engaging. His comparisons of Leonardo to other scarier monsters creates a character we feel is desperate in his desire to be up to par. The text is printed in a large, unique font and all in caps, with certain words and phrases printed in a different color for added emphasis. Willem's illustrations are simple and uncluttered. His use of muted pastels convey mood, such as the gray background for depressed Sam and the purple background for gloomy Leonardo as he finds out about Sam's bad day.
Review Exerpt(s)
Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books - "In his visuals, Willems once again proves that a few well-paced lines, simple shapes, and evocative fonts can be wonderfully effective in the hands of a master animator."
The Horn Book - "Willem's story plays out like a theatrical perfomance on tall, uncluttered, muted-color pages.
Connections
*Other books about monsters:
Leuck, Laura. My Monster Mama Loves Me So. ISBN 0060088605
Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. ISBN 0064431789
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