Groggle’s Monster Valentine
Written by Diana Murray
Illustrated by Bats Langley
Sky Pony Press  1/17/2017
978-1-5107-0508-1
32 pages   Ages 4—8

.
“Groggle has been up all night making a Valentine’s Day card. This isn’t just any valentine, though, and it has to be perfect—it’s for Snarlina, his “beast” friend in the whole wide world. Searching in the dark forest, he finds just the right heart-shaped leaves. He collects some bog slime and squirts everything he wants to say in bold, gooey letters. Groggle’s creation looks horribly good. But there’s just one problem—gobble, crunch, crunch, slurp! He has a monster appetite!

“Will Groggle ever be able to give his toothsome, stomping, monstrous friend Snarlina a valentine? Find out in this monster of a tale.” [BACK COVER]

Review
[WC 458]
It is Valentine’s Day and Groggle is excited! He wants to show his “beast friend in the whole wide world” how much he likes her. With special ingredients Groggle finds in the dark, dank forest he turns heart-shaped leaves into valentines. Groggle expresses his emotions with a familiar poem, changed to suit his friend Snarlina.

“To: Snarlina, from: Groggle
Roses are red
Garbage is Grimy
Here is your Valentine
icky and Slimy”

Groggle is eager to give Snarlina his valentine. Just one problem—Groggle has an insatiable, monster of an appetite, and cannot control it. “Gobble, crunch, crunch, slurp!” The valentine is gone! Groggle must begin again, this time making an even better valentine.

““As sure as these spiders are hairy . . .”

Soon, the familiar line of onomatopoeia crosses the page. “Gobble, crunch, crunch, slurp!” Groggle grabbs his supplies and begins once more.
Groggle’s Monster Valentine contains the funniest poems any monster ever wrote. I love how the poems change, rather than all being the “roses are red” variety. In one, Groggle creates his poem using Snarlina’s name. Parents will enjoy reading these silly, yet easy to read aloud, poems. Groggle will surly encourage children—and maybe adults—to create their own valentines. Try making them on cookies just in case your stomach causes a craving.

Eating his valentines, Groggle gives young children the opportunity to repeat his tag line. Kids will be on their toes with anticipation, ready to help Groggle “gobble, crunch, crunch, slurp!” Groggle’s leafy heart-felt odes may be perfect for boys and monsters (is that redundant), but girls will enjoy reading this monster love story.
Using his rich palette of purple and red, with the occasional orange and blue, Bats Langley—Groggle is his debut picture book—places children into Groggle’s dark forest. Even the youngest reader is welcome into this non-violet, friendly forest of sociable monsters. Groggle and Snarlina are delectable creatures, each with interesting features. Groggle looks like a nerd, though please do not tell him or Snarlina—especially Snarlina—I said so. Groggle’s unique heart-shaped nose is adorable. His “beast friend in the whole wide world” can shake that world with her stomping steps. The blue-eyed cyclops will win children’s hearts, just as she has won Groggle’s heart.
Diana Murray’s third dazzling picture book (City Shapes [reviewed here], Grimelda, the Very Messy Witch [reviewed here], Ned the Knitting Pirate [reviewed here]) may be a monster’s tale, but the charming story of friendship and love, not to mention of appetite, will find many fans this Valentine’s Day and beyond. Groggle will draw in children from his first leafy creation. What he eventually gives Snarlina, and how she accepts this, will also delight children. Each spread is a valentine in itself, with its expressive poetry and imaginative illustrations. Surprise your little monster with Groggle’s Monster Valentine. Your monster will not be disappointed (add a chocolate heart for a winning combination).

Next Up for Diana Murphy: Doris the Bookasaurus (July 2017, Imprint)

GROGGLE’S MONSTER VALENTINE. Text copyright © 2017 by Diana Murray. Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Bats Langley. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Sky Pony Press, New York, NY.

Amazon—Indie Books—Apple Books—Sky Pony Press

Add Groggle’s Monster Valentine to Your Goodreads Shelf HERE.
Downloadable Activates from Diana Murray are HERE.
Read an Interview with Bats Langley on Kidlit 411 HERE.

.
Reprinted with permission from GROGGLE’S MONSTER VALENTINE © 2017 by Diana Murray, Sky Pony Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing Inc. Illustrations © 2017 by Bats Langley.

.
Copyright © 2017 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

.
Groggle’s Monster Valentine
Written by Diana Murray
Illustrated by Bats Langley
Sky Pony Press 1/17/2017
9781510705081