Olivia and her father are moving to the country so he’ll have a quiet place to write. Olivia wasn’t sure if she wanted to live in the country, but then she saw the house. It was a big old Victorian type with lots of rooms to snoop in and all kinds of things to discover. She just didn’t expect to discover a monster…

This author does a very nice job of creating a young girl character who never knew her mother, has a busy father, and is a lot braver than I was at her age! He’s made her easy to love because she’s gracious and kind (and makes good cookies) and she wants to do the right thing. The other characters are her father, his agent, and the monster. Mr. Corral’s monster is not all that scary, but he has one talent that creates panic: he magically grows when people are fearful of him.

I like the way he teaches us a little lesson about people who are different from us. Don’t be judgmental. Don’t be fearful until someone gives you a reason to be. He makes his story interesting by creating a monster who writes stories and likes cookies. It’s a charming story that younger middle grade readers should really enjoy reading.

Alessandra Sorrentino is the illustrator and her graphics made reading the story even more fun. The monster has long claws and wears a scarf; Olivia looks like a doll walking next to him. Young readers should enjoy looking at the illustrations and imagining themselves in the same situation.

Mr. Corral and Ms. Sorrentino’s collaboration on this book has produced a wonderful fantasy for children to read and smile over. The ending was a surprise, but it’s most appropriate. I’d just start keeping an eye out if your child suddenly starts baking a lot of cookies. Who knows who you might find?

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