Petit, the Monster
Kindergarten-Grade 2—This charming import from Argentina follows Petit as he tries to figure out what makes him good when he's good and bad when he's bad. For example, he's bad when he lies, but he's good when he tells stories. He's good when he takes special care of his toys, but "Is it bad not to want to share them?" Poor Petit cannot figure out these strange dichotomies in his life. He supposes it runs in his family because Mother is good when she understands him but not so good when she sends him off to bed without dessert. Isol's deceptively simple cartoonlike illustrations that mix pencil drawing, oil pastels, and digital art aptly convey Petit's behavior. In the end, the child is reassured that, no matter what, his dog loves him. This is a great book to open discussions about behavior with children who sometimes do not pick up on clues from those around them.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA(c) Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.