Hello World!

The irrepressible Monster is back—and this time, he wants to see the world. Mrs. Mo is busy painting, so Monster decides to go alone. He's packed everything he needs: an umbrella, a tea pot, a trumpet . . . and his globe, of course!But when his adventure becomes bigger than he expected, Monster wishes Mrs. Mo had come after all—and brought lunch.

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2—In this sequel to Mrs. Mo's Monster (Gecko Pr, 2014), Monster is impatient as Mr. and Mrs. Mo are preoccupied with painting their house. Monster peers out of the upstairs window longing for play and attention and then gathers up a variety of cast-off sporting and household goods from the attic and goes "off to see the world." Mrs. Mo follows at a distance as the monster crosses the yard, walks over a bridge, and goes through a rocky landscape to the tallest peak around. Luckily she brings sandwiches to share. The bold illustrations with saturated colors offer unique images: the house looks like a steel barn, the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Mo have gray hair but are spry and active, and the rock vistas resemble parts of the Rocky Mountains. While this is not quite as satisfying as Maurice Sendak's classic Where the Wild Things Are, young readers will enjoy sharing Monster's journey, the reassurance of Mrs. Mo, and the view of the world beyond one's backyard. VERDICT This is a welcome addition to larger picture book collections.—Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI

Journal

"Mrs. Mo's Monster (2014), he of the snaggly teeth, spiky blue fur, and lolling pink tongue, is still in the attic. As the book begins, Mr. and Mrs. Mo are painting the outside of their house from white to red and so cannot amuse the monster, who announces that he's 'off to see the world.' He sets out carrying a good deal of the stuff from the attic, refusing Mrs. Mo's offer to make him a sandwich. As he goes along, however, he gets lost in a sea of obstacles to navigate and begins to have a meltdown―but Mrs. Mo turns up, with the sandwich and a few more things from home. It all resolves in a satisfying way: the monster gets to see a view of his whole world (and so does the intrepid Mrs. Mo), and Mr. Mo, painting complete, just sort of scratches his bald head in bemusement. The monster definitely has the toddler ethos down pat, and the white-haired Mo couple is quite good at responding to it. The art is done in clear blocks of color and shape, and children of all ages will be amused by what the monster chooses to take along and leave behind of the cozy detritus (tea kettle, golf clubs, globe, etc.) in the attic. A calmly surreal invitation to explore."―Kirkus Reviews

Journal

"In this sequel to Mrs. Mo's Monster (Gecko Pr, 2014), Monster is impatient as Mr. and Mrs. Mo are preoccupied with painting their house. Monster peers out of the upstairs window longing for play and attention and then gathers up a variety of cast-off sporting and household goods from the attic and goes 'off to see the world.' Mrs. Mo follows at a distance s the monster crosses the yard, walks over a bridge, and goes through a rocky landscape to the tallest peak around. Luckily she brings sandwiches to share. The bold illustrations with saturated colors offer unique images: the house looks like a steel barn, the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Mo have gray hair but are spry and active, and the rock vistas resemble parts of the Rocky Mountains. While this is not quite as satisfying as Maurice Sendak’s classic Where the Wild Things Are, young readers will enjoy sharing Monster's journey, the reassurance of Mrs. Mo, and the view of the world beyond one's backyard. VERDICT This is a welcome addition to larger picture book collections."―School Library Journal

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"The hairy, blue alien creature who first appeared in Mrs. Mo's Monster (2014), demanding shelter from an elderly woman, returns with a hunger for adventure. Where the first book centers on the taming of this little monster, the sequel shows a better-mannered but very bored monster. While Mr. and Mrs. Mo are busy painting their great cylindrical home, he raids the attic, filling a golf bag with items: a coffee pot, one ski, a fishing pole, and a bugle. Globe in hand, he declares, 'I'm off to see the world.' And off he goes. He wanders through a Seussian landscape of needlelike mounds and crazily twisting roads while unwittingly dropping his travel items behind him. Soon the monster gets lost and scared, but the attentive viewer will notice that Mrs. Mo―at first just a faraway head―draws ever nearer. She reaches the monster and, together, they climb to the top of a hill for a stunning, sun-drenched view. This story is a laugh-out-loud lesson in persistence and support."―Booklist

About the Author

Paul Beavis was born in London, England. He studied Graphic Design at Central St. Martin's before working on children's animation shows. Later, he moved into website design. Paul now lives in New Zealand.

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