Poesy the Monster Slayer

June 1, 2020
Some children fear monsters at bedtime, but Poesy welcomes them. Her pink “monster lair” features gothic art and stuffed animals, and she makes her father read The Book of Monsters from cover to cover before lights out. “PLEASE stay in bed tonight,” he pleads as he leaves, but there’s no chance: the werewolf who soon enters her window is the size of a grizzly. “Werewolves HATED silver,” Poesy knows, “and they feared the light”—armed with a Princess Frillypants silver tiara and a light-up wand, she vanquishes the beast. And that’s just the beginning of her tear through monsterdom. “Poesy Emmeline Russell Schnegg,” her mother growls from the doorway (in a funny turn, the girl gains a middle name every time a parent appears). Assured panels by Rockefeller (Pop!) combine frilly with threatening, illuminated by eerie light sources. Doctorow, making his picture book debut, strikes a gently edgy tone (“He was so tired,” Poesy sees, “that he stepped on a Harry the Hare block and said some swears. Poor Daddy!”), and his blow-by-blow account races to its closing spread: of two tired parents who resemble yet another monster. Ages 4–6.

July 1, 2020
Grades K-2 In the Schnegg household, Poesy is your typical enthusiastic kid by day and, by moonlight, an expert monster-hunter! Here Doctorow takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to a brave, spunky girl who secretly fights monsters in the dead of night while her parents are in bed. Facing familiar creatures like vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstein's monster, as well as new challenges like the tentacled Great Old One, Poesy is determined to turn them back, even though Mom and Dad might be feeling a little zombified after a night of her escapades interrupting their sleep. Featuring energetic dialogue, an exciting plot, and a close-knit multiracial family, Doctorow's story is bolstered by Rockefeller's deliciously detailed, dark-but-glowing illustrations. While speech bubbles, characteristic of comics, are used for dialogue, a storybook feel is preserved by the narration and full-bleed spreads. It's unclear why Poesy has been tasked with this?in one moment, a self-aware monster asks sadly why they have to be hunted?but whatever her motivations, she has succeeded in yet another exciting night of protecting her home.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

August 1, 2020
Poesy has been put to bed, but she's got monsters to fight. Brown-skinned Poesy has her toys and her snack. Daddy has read the monster book with her and tucked her into bed, asking her to "PLEASE stay in bed," to which she responds sweetly, "Good night, Daddy." The lights are out, and the battle begins. She knows the monsters are coming, and she has a plan. First, the werewolf appears. No problem. Poesy knows the tools to get rid of him: silver (her tiara) and light. She wins, of course, but the ruckus causes a "cross" Daddy to appear at her door, telling her to stop playing with toys and go back to bed. She dutifully lets him tuck her back in. But on the next page, her eyes are open. "Daddy was scared of monsters. Let DADDY stay in bed." Poesy keeps fighting the monsters that keep appearing out of the shadows, fearlessly and with all the right tools, to the growing consternation of her parents, a Black-appearing woman and a White-appearing man, who are oblivious to the monsters and clearly fed up and exhausted but used to this routine. Poesy is irresistible with her brave, two-sided personality. Her foes don't stand a chance (and neither do her parents). Rockefeller's gently colored cartoon art enhances her bravery with creepily drawn night creatures and lively, expressive faces. This nighttime mischief is not for the faint of heart. (Picture book. 5-8)

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