The Great Green Turkey Creek Monster

by James Flora

A great green hooligan vine starts to grow and threatens to take over the whole town until one boy finds out how to control it.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1976

Reviews

[Emmy]

Picked this up because as a kid, one of my favorite books was Grandpa's Ghost Stories by James Flora. After getting a copy of the reprint as an adult, I thought it was high time to look back at the other books that he had written. And this was the next on my list.

This book is so cute and so funny! The story is fun, but what really got me was the illustrations. They are so clever! It was a lot of fun looking to see what hijinks the monster was getting into, whether it was wearing a silly disguise or messing with the townsfolk.

Highly recommend for children and adults still in touch with their inner child.

[Melissa]

Adorable

[Sasha]

This was just so imaginative and delightful. Who has the chutzpah, the talent, and the genius to dream up a vine that operates like a hydra, is affectionate towards children but behaves like the members of "Jackass" towards adults, and hates trombone music? Just pure comedic gold and such fun. I laughed aloud and especially liked how unpredictable and uplifting the ending was. Somehow it became patriotic and a new tradition? Well done.

[The Brothers]

Even though the story is a longer one, Jasper (4yo) loved hearing it over and over. It's about a Hooligan Vine that grows rampant and takes over a town. He especially liked it when the children got to ride on it.

Illustrations are black and white with only green as an accent color. Very cool.

[James]

BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ

[Teresa]

This book delighted me for the first time when I was in 6th grade. I was already well beyond it in reading ability (I read Stephen King's The Dark Half the same year), but the story and illustrations were so screamingly absurd that I checked out of my school library repeatedly. 15 years later this book was still lodged in my memory as one of the most hilarious books I'd ever read and I am beyond proud to own a copy (Thank you, Debbie!!). Sadly it's out of print, but if you can find a copy used or at your local library this very funny account of what happens when the dreaded Hooligan Vine is unleashed upon the town of Turkey Creek is sure to please.

[Cindi]

I checked this book out because it was written and illustrated by the same guy as "Sherwood Walks Home" which was such a hit with my kids. This one was great too. Just an imaginative story with great illustrations (one of those books that you spend a lot of time looking at what's going on in the pictures) about a plant that takes over a town and the boy who discovers how to stop it!

[May]

ADORABLE!!! My trombone teacher lent it to me. It is about a giant vine taking over a town and a kid with a trombone (<3!) stopping it. If anyone would like to get me a copy of this book for Christmas, please feel free to.

[Gayle P.]

Another great one my kids loved.

[Terri]

The Great Green Turkey Creek Monster is the kind of imaginative story I've always appreciated.

[Jean Doolittle]

I'm a gardener, so I love books about plants with personality (you don't find too many of them!)