Petit, the Monster. Isol. Translated by Elisa Amado. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, 2009. 40 pp., hardcover, $16.95. ISBN 978-0-88899-947-4. Preschool-kindergarten / Ages 3-5. Review by Helen Norrie. **** /4

excerpt:

Petit takes very good care of his toys, and that is good.

Is it bad not to want to share them?

Petit is a normal little boy who worries because his mother says, �How can such a good boy sometimes do such bad things?� He wonders if he is a new �kind of not-yet-discovered type of monster.� When he is scolded for pulling Laura�s hair, he thinks, �Why does Laura keep sitting next to me?� Petit is very good to his grandfather and very mean to the pigeons in the garden. He decides he must be a new type of good-bad boy.

     Isol, an Argentinean author and illustrator, has captured the confusion that can occur in a child�s mind as he meets conflicting situations and standards. Isol lives in Buenos Aires and has twice been selected as a finalist for the Hans Christian Anderson Award.

      The artwork in this picture book, also by Isol, is sketchy and primitive, as if it might have been done by Petit, himself. It suits the text as Petit is also experimenting with how he should behave.

      Petit, the Monster could resonate with young children who are trying hard to fit into new situations, such as a new nursery school.

Highly Recommended.

Helen Norrie, a former teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB, reviews children�s books for the Winnipeg Free Press.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright � the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

Hosted by the University of Manitoba.

 

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