The Monster Who Lost His Mean

Every monster carries a kind of genetic code that consists, conveniently, of the letters in "monster" ("Mean, Observant, Noisy, super Strong, and Tough to please, / Envious, Remarkable: A monster's all of these"). So when one chartreuse, horned creature loses his "M" and becomes just "The Onster," the other monsters kick him out of their bullying gang. Losing his M, however, turns Onster into a mensch: "The Onster thinks, I'll throw some eggs at Mr. Lander's van!/ But winds up cooking brunch for the entire Lander clan." He may be exiled from monsterdom, but his upstanding behavior wins him popularity with the in-crowd that matters: kindhearted human kids. Debut author Haber's rhymes hammer home lessons about peer pressure and nice guys finishing first. The obviousness of the message is mitigated by Edmunds's (So You Want to Be a Rock Star) cheeky digital drawings. Her Onster, who resembles an oversize, overstuffed pillow, looks truly liberated by his loss of fierceness. There's no need to be told, "He's happier in every way!"--his goofy grin and eager eyes say it all. Ages 4-8. Agent: Teresa Kietlinski, Prospect Agency. (July)

"Mean, Observant, Noisy, super Strong, and Tough-to-please, Envious, Remarkable: A monster's all of these." But, what happens when a little monster loses his "M" and can't be mean anymore? He's now just an "Onster" and is ostracized by his friends. Instead of pulling out all of Mrs. Power's flowers, he waters them. Instead of egging Mr. Lander's van, he cooks brunch for the whole family. He helps with chores and joins the children on the soccer field, the basketball court, and at the lake. When they throw him a surprise party to show their appreciation, he realizes that while he may have lost his "M," he's found amazing friends. The upbeat, lively, rhyming text reads aloud perfectly and is skillfully complemented by digitally created illustrations. Even the meanest monsters are playful. Young listeners and readers will delight in the Onster's search for his place in the world.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL