Picture Books: Leonardo the Terrible Monster

Bibliography:
Willems, Mo. 2005. LEONARDO THE TERRIBLE MONSTER. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 978-0786852949

Plot Summary:
Leonardo is a monster with a serious problem: he is not good at scaring anyone. Leonard tries everything he knows, but he doesn’t have any special features like Tony who has “1642 teeth” or big Eleanor. Leonardo knows he isn’t cutting it as a monster, so he decides to do some research to find the “most scaredy-cat kid” out there. He finally finds his perfect prey in Sam and gives it everything he has; to no avail. Leonardo decides that maybe he can be a great friend instead, who can also surprise Sam periodically with a good “Boo!”

Critical Analysis:
Leonardo comes to a fork in the road: continue being a “terrible monster” or become a “wonderful friend.” There are many life lessons for children to take away from this story, including that if something is not working for you do something different. This “big” lesson is taught in a simply told story with great humor. It will bring a smile to every readers face, as Willems says himself, “For audiences as young as 3 and as old as 36.”

Mo Willems does it again with his simple drawings that somehow bring the reader into the story. The oversized book compared to the smallness of Leonardo and Sam is an interesting contrast emphasizing Leonardo’s inadequacies until he “makes a very BIG decision” and Leonardo suddenly fills both pages. The font is not a favorite, but the changing colors highlight the big ideas on each page. The sudden change in font and amount of words on the page provide the reader with a secondary visual imitating the tirade of a young boy. Mo Willems does not disappoint.

Awards Won And Reviewed Excerpt(s):
American Library Assocation (ALA) Notable Book
Starred review from SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “…will have youngsters laughing,… will have grown-ups chuckling, too.”
Review from BOOKLIST: “…a simple message-driven story, elevated by a smart, striking design.”

Connections:
*Students can discuss/write about a time when something was not quite working for them and how they worked through the problem.
*Discussion about the characteristics of a good friend.
*Other books on friendship:
Raschka, Chris. 2007. YO! YES?. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 978-0439921855
Rathmann, Peggy. 1995. OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA. New York, NY: Putnam Juvenile. ISBN 978-0399226168.