A Valentine for the rest of us. And, yes, Monster is cuter than the kittens, bunnies, and puppies, in my opinion. I am definitely looking for more by the author. ( )

Genre
Picture books for children
Tone
Amusing
Feel-good
Sweet
Illustration
Cartoony
Subject
Friendship
Love
Monsters
Character
Sympathetic

In this story a hairy, funny- looking monster feels left out and is searching for someone to love him. He sees all the puppies and kittens that are being loved, but he can't find anyone to love him. He searches and becomes discouraged to the point of giving up. Right when he gives however, he finds friends to love him just the way he is. This conveys the central message that everyone is unique and loved in their own way. ( )

The only non-cuddly resident of Cutesville, Monster longed for friends, companionship, and most of all, for love. Setting out one day on a quest to find what he's been missing, Monster searched high and low, all to no avail. Beaten down and defeated, he was heading back to Cutesville when he met a slightly hairy she-monster on the bus...

An engaging tale of a sympathetic misfit who only wants the same love and companionship he sees others around him enjoying, Love Monster pairs an endearing story with bright, appealing artwork, created through a process called 'solar etching,' in which ultraviolet light is used to make printing plates. As someone who likes block-printing type artwork, I was pretty much guaranteed to find Love Monster appealing, stylistically speaking, but I also appreciated the vivid but subtle color palette that Rachel Bright employed. All in all, an enjoyable little cream-puff of a picture-book, and more than enough to convince me to track down more about Love Monster. ( )

The totally cute cover of this book, as well as the almost oxymoron title "Love Monster", is attention getting. The equally cute story line delivers a sweet/sad story of a funny-looking monster searching for acceptance among a world of cute and fluffy things. His quest seems like a lost cause and is ready to give up when suddenly his true love finds him. The message of this story is that "sometimes, when you least expect it... love finds you", a reminder to stay true to yourself and not try too hard for acceptance.