Believe It or Not, My Brother Has a Monster!

K-Gr 2—When a sibling does something forbidden, there is as much a sense of dread as there is excitement. Told in rhyme by the younger brother, the story describes how a boy brings home a monster on Halloween night. But that is just the beginning. He continues to accumulate other creepy creatures in increasing quantities. The younger brother bears witness to all the mischief in the dark, each time repeating the phrase "I hope our parents don't find out." When the adults do come home, though, they turn on the lights and readers see that the creatures aren't that creepy after all. Perhaps there was a little elaboration and an overactive imagination at work on the part of the younger brother. While the story concept is cute, the narrative seems to drag a little and can be wordy at times for the sake of the rhyme. The muted cartoony illustrations work well with the text but are not exceptional.