There Are Monsters Everywhere (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: There Are Monsters Everywhere Maggie Hommel Mayer, Mercer There Are Monsters Everywhere; written and illus. by Mercer Mayer. Dial, 200532p ISBN 0-8037-0621-9$15.99 R 5-8 yrs Fans of There's a Nightmare in My Closet will find familiar monsters and a similar plotline in Mayer's newest picture-book look at a boy overcoming his fears (Mayer's classic even makes a cameo in one scene). The stocky, blond-haired young protagonist—his shoes forever untied—knows there are monsters lurking behind every door, in the basement, and especially by the garbage pails outside, even if his parents don't believe it ("Dad said there weren't any monsters. But he was wrong!"). A sign advertising karate lessons offers a solution, and pretty soon the boy is using his new moves to scare away monsters left and right. Some confused and scared-looking monsters make it clear that the threat (if not the monsters) may have been in the boy's imagination, but his newfound confidence is nonetheless heartening. Mayer's art tends toward the overbusy in the composition and the sometimes discordant color palette, its thick black outlines and swathes of color closer to the cartoony Little Critters style than Nightmare'sspare look. Still, the illustrations provide a humorous counterpoint to the straightforward text with hidden jokes for youngsters to discover, including reactions of the harried pet dog, a rearview of the boy from the rump up in the shower, and a hilarious spread of the protagonist trying out karate moves and—oops!—falling down. The oversized, spotted and striped monsters are toothy and muscular, but they also wear braces, bandages, and too-small shoes, maximizing the silliness factor. Though young viewers will pick up on the theme of overcoming fears, the real draw here will be the silly monsters, nonstop visual humor, and inviting world that Mayer has created. Copyright © 2005 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois