Don't Call Me Sweet!

This little monster has had ENOUGH of being cute!

Book Details
Title: Don't Call Me Sweet!
Author: Smriti Prasadam-Halls
Illustrator: Angie Rozelaar
Bloomsbury Publishing 2014
ISBN 978 1 4088 3881 5 (HB)
ISBN 978 1 4088 3882 2 (PB)
ISBN 978 1 4088 4618 6 (eBook)

Back of Book:
MONSTERS AREN'T SWEET....are they? 
Well, this little monster DEFINITELY isn't. He's stinky and slimy and messy and SCARY. He's ANYTHING but sweet....isn't he?
Monstrously good fun and full of mischief, Don't Call Me Sweet! is the perfect picture book for all LITTLE monsters in a hurry to be BIG.
The Story:
A playful blue little monster is determined to be stinky, slimy and scary. He stomps, makes bug eye stew and insists that people DO NOT call him 'sweet.' But, oh dear, he meets an ogre  who likes nothing better than a stinky, slimy scary monster as a tasty teatime treat. Suddenly our little blue monster is ever so polite and delightfully sweet! It all ends well- the ogre is won over and no little monsters were harmed in the making of this book :) 

Page spread from mid way through book:
Don't pat my head as I come
slipping down the street...
Call me SLIMY,
don't call me SWEET!
Missus B's Picture Book Reviews

This little Monster is going on my book shelf...

Sweet enough to cuddle, the little monster character in this story is greeted with warm smiles, affectionate pats on the head and welcoming waves wherever he goes.

Like a child who wants to be treated like an adult, the determined monster practises how to stomp, studies his  'How to Be Scary' book and warns 'I'm out to terrify anyone I meet.' 

Living in a world of friendly faced, yellow horned, hairy monsters 'Little Monster' (he deserves capital letters) certainly is the cutest of the bunch. The pictures comically convey his frustration when his monster antics are not taken seriously- he sulks and folds his arms when the adults fawn over him calling him 'sweet.' 

Little Monster is an endearing character with an expressive face, crooked baby monster teeth and bright yellow eyes. I love the illustrations- the scribbled look of the monster characters, the splatted paint of monster mess, the patterned birds and the soft tones and shades used throughout. There are also some comical details e.g. Little Monster's 'How To Be Scary' book is written by B.A. Fraid and, while making his 'bug-eye-stew' the main ingredients escape and crawl all over the pages.

Most of the story scenes are viewed in horizontal, double page spreads, but for two story scenes, the book has to be turned vertically. Child readers will enjoy the extra large pictures here-we get to see Little Monster covered in swampy mud and in the other, we see the giant ogre towering above the monster family (No need to be scared though- it's all about the monster love!)

While this book is full of monsters, all characters are definitely on the cute side. Even the big chinned ogre is a lovable giant. 

Oh dear- time for little monster to charm that ogre!
Missus B's Picture Book Reviews

The book is written in  comical rhyming text, with print in varying size to bring emphasis to the story. As always, I LOVE a book with rhyming text -stories in rhyme are such a lovely invitation for children to participate. 
Here's a taster:

AAAAAGH! It's an ogre
and he's looking down at me!
If he catches me now,
He'll eat me for his tea.

He's massive and he's mean,
I think he weighs a tonne,
Oh no, there's nothing for it,
I think I'd better RUN!

In short:
This is a cute, rhyming story with delightful pictures and an endearing monster character. A sweet, funny read.

Happy reading, 
Missus B 
See a Missus B video review here:

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