Love Monster

Rachel Bright
Everybody loves cute, fluffy things. You know, like kittens and bunnies and puppies. But nobody loves a slightly hairy, I-suppose-a-bit-googly-eyed monster…do they?
Ok time to ‘fess up. In our house we are definitely fans of the googly eyes. Any craft activity which involves the stick on variety is always a winner! So it is fair to say the Love Monster had an unfair advantage of securing a place in our hearts and on our book shelf when it unexpectedly landed on our door mat.
Love monster is in the uncomfortable position of being the only monster in a world full of cute and fluffy beings. Feeling unloved, Love monster decides to take matters in to his own hands and go out in to the world and search for someone to love him. Monster suffers many disappointments on the road to finding love but it is while his journey is at its bleakest that he sees a glimmer of light and hope shines through.
While the central premise of the story is that sometimes, when you least expect it, love will find you. I also felt that there was a very clear message; that no matter who you are or what you look like you deserved to be loved, just the way you are. Although I can’t help feeling that this message would have been even stronger had Monster found love with one of the “cute fluffy things” rather than with another monster.
As with any good picture book the illustrations reveal as much of the story and the main characters personality as the text. It is through the bold and vibrant illustrations that we learn that Love monster is dedicated to and well prepared for his search for love; he has read self-help and travel guides, made numerous to do lists and has even packed an emergency doughnut!
Verdict: A warm and uplifting tale with a very loveable main character. Who can resist those big, sad googly eyes?!
Reviewed by Caroline