Jeremy Draws a Monster (Jeremy and the Monster)
Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 1—In the tradition of Crockett Johnson'sHarold and the Purple Crayon(HarperCollins, 1955), McCarty delivers a character who draws objects to life. This story, however, has a modern touch and an interesting psychological twist. Readers meet Jeremy, a blond, spike-haired boy garbed in a pink-striped shirt emblazoned with a large 3, alone in his third-floor apartment, gazing at a group of children playing ball below. The text reads, "He had his very own room. He never left. He never went outside." But Jeremy does have a fancy pen, and one day he conjures up a robust blue monster that, in short order, demands a sandwich, a checkerboard, a television, and a hot dog, which Jeremy and his pen quickly supply. Soon the novelty wears off and when the monster demands a hat because he is "going out," Jeremy is relieved to see him go. The monster returns, but Jeremy takes charge and when he departs for good, the neighborhood children gather—"Do you want to play ball?" they ask, and indeed Jeremy does. McCarty matches his understated story with both black-and-white and color illustrations that flow loosely across ample white space; the openness of the images gives just the right feel to the tale. The monster is not particularly scary, and the balance of power, which comes not from might but from Jeremy's ingenuity, is the book's strength. Both story and illustration leave lots of room for speculation and discussion; children will love to pore over the endpapers, as well.—Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MAEND