#886 – Monster & Son by David La Rochelle and Joey Chou

Monster & Son
Written by David La Rochelle
Illustrated by Joey Chou
Chronicle Books 4/01/2016
978-1-4521-2937-2
36 pages Ages 2—4

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“Romp along with father and son yetis, blobs, giant lizards, and more as they stir up some monster-size fun!

“Readers big and small, young and old, wild, and tame, will roar with laughter and take this book by the horns, teeth, and fur . . . discovering that monsters and humans aren’t so different—especially in the ways that they love each other.” [inside jacket]

Review
The son awakes the father, which is brave indeed, since they are dinosaurs. Father Loch Ness tosses a beach ball to his son, their waves capsizing boats around them. A ghost, werewolf, yeti, dragon, and a four-eyed monster—fathers, all—spend the day with their sons. Even Frankenstein Junior enjoys the day with dad, getting into tickle fights and laughing the day away. Father Yeti and his son build a secret hideout, and the dragon pair complete trading hilarious jokes as a prince tries to save his princess. Now it is time to settle down for the night. The moon rises. Stars shine. Monster sons put on their pajamas. Monster fathers tuck their sons into bed.

What is going on?

Monster & Son delights in the love between monsters and their sons. Just like human fathers and sons spend time together, so do monsters. To humans, monsters are a terrifying lot, full of brutish habits and ear-splitting roars, causing panic among us. Why, monsters are simply . . . uncivilized. Yet, here they are, doing normal father-son activities—playing catch, fishing, wrestling, tickling—just like human fathers and sons. Sometimes they even bring along Fido, albeit monster Fido.

I love Monster & Son for its creativity, imagination, and uniqueness. The rhyming text never falters and is fun to read aloud. The illustrations—all digital creations—give readers a dangerous slice of monster life balanced by soft, energetic text. Each spread contains exacting details pertaining to its monster, which completes the scene. The son of an odd dinosaur pair, sitting amid a destroyed town, tosses toy vehicles into San Francisco Bay, only the boy’s “toys” come from those crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Father wolf and his two sons sit in a tree gazing at the night stars, while below Little Red Riding Hood runs home, basket in hand. I love to see these type of details. These details give each spread a sparkling personality.

The monster fathers did not read to their sons, especially as part of the bedtime routine. I am highly disappointed that La Rochelle nor Chou thought to add this tiny, but relevant detail. Everything else in Monster & Son is monstrously picture book-perfect.

With Father’s Day not far away, Monster & Son is a humorous alternative to most any other book for dad. Boys will love the monsters and their activities, always meticulously monster-oriented. Fathers will love reading to their son La Rochelle’s gentle, humorous text. Monster & Son is the bedtime story necessary to end dad’s day with a wild roar. If you strip away the monsters’ outer shells, what is left are dads and sons—any dad and his boy, be it monster or human—loving each other.

Monster & Son is a tribute to fathers of a different sort, perfect for a monster of a holiday.

Amazon—Book Depository—Indie Books—Chronicle Books.

Find Monster & Son on Goodreads HERE.

David La Rochelle: http://www.davidlarochelle.net/
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Joey Chou: http://joeyart.tumblr.com/
Follow on Twitter @joeychouart

Chronicle Books: http://www.chroniclebooks.com/
Follow on Twitter @ChronicleBooks

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Reprinted with permission from MONSTER & SON © 2016 by David La Rochelle, Chronicle Books, Illustrations © 2016 by Joey Chou.

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Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

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Full Disclosure: Monster & Son by David La Rochelle & Joey Chou, and received from Chronicle Books, is in exchange NOT for a positive review, but for an HONEST review. The opinions expressed are my own and no one else’s. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Monster & Son
Written by David La Rochelle
Illustrated by Joey Chou
Chronicle Books 4/01/2016
9781452129372