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Leo's Monster
When Leo, the city mouse, visits his friend Zoe in the countryside for the first time, he meets a huge and horrible monster.
It’s gigantic, has lots of horns, an enormous tail, and when it roars, the earth shakes. At least that’s what Leo saw. Or did he? Zoe thinks his description sounds just like Berta, the sweet-tempered cow in the meadow . . .
Bestselling author Marcus Pfister skillfully weaves a hilarious story of mystery, suspense and just a hint of scariness.
It’s gigantic, has lots of horns, an enormous tail, and when it roars, the earth shakes. At least that’s what Leo saw. Or did he? Zoe thinks his description sounds just like Berta, the sweet-tempered cow in the meadow . . .
Bestselling author Marcus Pfister skillfully weaves a hilarious story of mystery, suspense and just a hint of scariness.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published May 5, 2020
41 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Pfister
568 books181 followersMarcus Pfister was born in Berne, Switzerland, and began his career as a graphic artist in an advertising agency. In 1983, he decided to dedicate more time to artistic pursuits, and began to write and illustrate his first book, The Sleepy Owl, which was published in 1986. His best-known work to date is The Rainbow Fish, which has remained on bestseller lists across the United States since 1992.
Marcus does most of his illustrations for children's books in watercolors. He begins each book by stretching watercolor paper over a wooden board so that it won't warp when wet. He then copies his rough sketches onto the paper in pencil. At this point, he is ready to begin painting. For backgrounds and blended contours, he uses wet paint on wet paper to get a softer effect. For sharper details, he first lets the paper dry, then paints the final picture layer by layer. When the illustration is complete he cuts the paper from the wooden board.
For books that feature holographic foil stamping, he then tapes a piece of transparent film over the art and indicates with a black marker where the foil stamping should be. The foil stamping is then applied during the production process after the pages are printed and before the final binding.
Marcus and his wife, Kathryn, work together in Berne, where they live with their three children.
Marcus does most of his illustrations for children's books in watercolors. He begins each book by stretching watercolor paper over a wooden board so that it won't warp when wet. He then copies his rough sketches onto the paper in pencil. At this point, he is ready to begin painting. For backgrounds and blended contours, he uses wet paint on wet paper to get a softer effect. For sharper details, he first lets the paper dry, then paints the final picture layer by layer. When the illustration is complete he cuts the paper from the wooden board.
For books that feature holographic foil stamping, he then tapes a piece of transparent film over the art and indicates with a black marker where the foil stamping should be. The foil stamping is then applied during the production process after the pages are printed and before the final binding.
Marcus and his wife, Kathryn, work together in Berne, where they live with their three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
February 13, 2020
The illustrations for this book are very cute and appropriate to the story. However the premise is simply another retelling of Aesops's fable of "The Country Mouse and The City Mouse" with a more updated and simplified story for younger children.
This isn't a bad book it's just not very exciting. My audience was a 4 year old so perhaps a toddler would find it more amusing.
The book was very eye catching and we enjoyed finding out that the monster was really just a cow, cute but not surprising.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
This isn't a bad book it's just not very exciting. My audience was a 4 year old so perhaps a toddler would find it more amusing.
The book was very eye catching and we enjoyed finding out that the monster was really just a cow, cute but not surprising.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
November 3, 2019
This is quite a cute story. I first encountered this author's work in
Who Stole the Hazelnuts?
, which I didn't love (I found the pictures a bit creepy). I enjoyed Leo's Monster a lot more... and I would have liked it even better had the resolution of the story not been completely spoiled by the synopsis.
Leo, a city mouse, visits Zoe, a country mouse, and goes outside to have a look around. He comes back to Zoe's place shaken, thinking he's seen a monster. As Zoe tries to get a description of this monster out of him, the narrative and the illustrations both start to hint at a cow (which would've been much more fun to see had we not already been told that's what the monster was).
The illustrations here are really interesting. I'm not sure what you call the technique, but it looks like it's done with acrylic paint, adding an intriguing texture. The style runs throughout the illustrations, and it's used to good effect on everything from the animals' fur to the grass to a steaming pile of manure.
While I think the story is a little weak (and Leo's stammering in terror is just a little overdone), I do think this could be an entertaining book for children. Just don't read them the back matter; instead, let them try to figure out the identity of the monster on their own.
Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for providing a digital ARC.
Leo, a city mouse, visits Zoe, a country mouse, and goes outside to have a look around. He comes back to Zoe's place shaken, thinking he's seen a monster. As Zoe tries to get a description of this monster out of him, the narrative and the illustrations both start to hint at a cow (which would've been much more fun to see had we not already been told that's what the monster was).
The illustrations here are really interesting. I'm not sure what you call the technique, but it looks like it's done with acrylic paint, adding an intriguing texture. The style runs throughout the illustrations, and it's used to good effect on everything from the animals' fur to the grass to a steaming pile of manure.
While I think the story is a little weak (and Leo's stammering in terror is just a little overdone), I do think this could be an entertaining book for children. Just don't read them the back matter; instead, let them try to figure out the identity of the monster on their own.
Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for providing a digital ARC.
January 21, 2020
Leo's Monster is a cute, little story with absolutely marvelous pictures!
There's tow little mice, Leo and Zoe, who lead the show in this book. Leo visits Zoe and comes across a giant monster (and to be clear, it's NOT the cat). As Leo tells his story about the scary and insane monster, Zoe keeps butting in and trying to give some descriptions. Will Leo ever tell Zoe about this monster? Will the monster be taken care of?! What sort of animal is this monster?!
I have to start out saying the pictures blew me away. I love wonderful art that works well with a story, and this book hit it out of the park! The soft, fuzzy and colourful pictures were A grade. There's so much texture and it works really well! I don't think every reader will like this art style, but it stood out to me. This type of style isn't common in the books that I've read and seen.
The plot itself was super goofy and lots of fun. I would say that this book is designed for fun and not education purposes. Either way, I think it would be a great reading buddy read or for parents to pick up and have a chuckle with their kids. The book is super cute and full of personality.
The word "suspenseful" has been thrown around about this book, and I would agree - suspenseful in the cutest way possible. I'm sure the kids who read this will be on the edge of their seat trying to figure out what kind of monster Leo has seen!
Overall, this book is cute, fun and spunky! I would highly recommend it for kids who just want to have a good laugh.
Four out of five stars.
I received this book for free via NetGalley.
There's tow little mice, Leo and Zoe, who lead the show in this book. Leo visits Zoe and comes across a giant monster (and to be clear, it's NOT the cat). As Leo tells his story about the scary and insane monster, Zoe keeps butting in and trying to give some descriptions. Will Leo ever tell Zoe about this monster? Will the monster be taken care of?! What sort of animal is this monster?!
I have to start out saying the pictures blew me away. I love wonderful art that works well with a story, and this book hit it out of the park! The soft, fuzzy and colourful pictures were A grade. There's so much texture and it works really well! I don't think every reader will like this art style, but it stood out to me. This type of style isn't common in the books that I've read and seen.
The plot itself was super goofy and lots of fun. I would say that this book is designed for fun and not education purposes. Either way, I think it would be a great reading buddy read or for parents to pick up and have a chuckle with their kids. The book is super cute and full of personality.
The word "suspenseful" has been thrown around about this book, and I would agree - suspenseful in the cutest way possible. I'm sure the kids who read this will be on the edge of their seat trying to figure out what kind of monster Leo has seen!
Overall, this book is cute, fun and spunky! I would highly recommend it for kids who just want to have a good laugh.
Four out of five stars.
I received this book for free via NetGalley.
December 22, 2019
I was attracted to this book because it was written by Marcus Pfister. My granddaughter was attracted to it because, you guessed it, it is about a monster. This was not a scary story at all, but rather funny. City Mouse, Leo is off to the country to visit his friend Zoe. She leaves him to explore and he runs into a monster. It has a all the characteristics of a monster; gigantic, enormous tail, horns, loud, smelly and more. Of course it turns out it is not a monster at all. Can you guess what Leo saw? My granddaughter thought Leo was funny thinking he saw a monster. She guessed right away what it was and why Leo thought it might be a monster. This did not mean she didn't like the book. We read it three times back to back. The illustrations were delightful. They were large and colourful and will definitely have young readers and listeners engaged. A wonderful book for a family library, preschool classroom or public library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
April 3, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for a free copy of this book in return for an honest review. So, as many have said this is sort of a retelling of Country Mouse and City Mouse, but with the illustrations it works. Leo goes out to the country to visit his friend Zoe. He wanders outside and eventually rushes in to tell her that he has seen a monster. Each clue gives us some fresh illustrations as what it could be, and eventually all the clues point to one of Zoe's friends not a monster. Simple tale of exaggeration of the unknown, but I did enjoy this book!
November 19, 2019
Leo's Monster
by Marcus Pfister
Reading level 4-8 years
Publication date : May 5, 2020
Description:
When Leo, the city mouse, visits his friend Zoe in the countryside for the first time, he meets a huge and horrible monster. It’s gigantic, has lots of horns, an enormous tail, and when it roars, the earth shakes. At least that’s what Leo saw. Or did he? Zoe thinks his description sounds just like Berta, the sweet-tempered cow in the meadow . . .
🐁MY REVIEW : 🐁
Bestselling author Marcus Pfister skillfully weaves a hilarious story of mystery, and just a hint of scariness.
I read this book to my two granddaughter's who are One & Two . I also read it to my 4 year old daughter. All 3 of them were laughing at what the monster really was. My granddaughter is almost 3 and has just entered the phase where she's scared of Monsters and The Dark. Leo's Monster
by Marcus Pfister is brilliant in its approach to helping kids conquer their fears. The story was amazing and a super fun book that all my kids love! It was short enough yet long enough to hold their attention. The illustrations are beautiful ,colorful bright and so full of life. Many thanks to the Publisher , the Author , and NetGalley for a ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.
#LeosMonster #NetGalley
by Marcus Pfister
Reading level 4-8 years
Publication date : May 5, 2020
Description:
When Leo, the city mouse, visits his friend Zoe in the countryside for the first time, he meets a huge and horrible monster. It’s gigantic, has lots of horns, an enormous tail, and when it roars, the earth shakes. At least that’s what Leo saw. Or did he? Zoe thinks his description sounds just like Berta, the sweet-tempered cow in the meadow . . .
🐁MY REVIEW : 🐁
Bestselling author Marcus Pfister skillfully weaves a hilarious story of mystery, and just a hint of scariness.
I read this book to my two granddaughter's who are One & Two . I also read it to my 4 year old daughter. All 3 of them were laughing at what the monster really was. My granddaughter is almost 3 and has just entered the phase where she's scared of Monsters and The Dark. Leo's Monster
by Marcus Pfister is brilliant in its approach to helping kids conquer their fears. The story was amazing and a super fun book that all my kids love! It was short enough yet long enough to hold their attention. The illustrations are beautiful ,colorful bright and so full of life. Many thanks to the Publisher , the Author , and NetGalley for a ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.
#LeosMonster #NetGalley
January 9, 2020
This is an interesting mesh of the Country Mouse and the City Mouse and The Five Blind Men and an Elephant. Does it work? Sort of.
A city mouse is scared of a monster in the field, but the country mouse sort of figures out what it is ahead of time.
And I have to say, a beast like that would frighten a mouse. We used to have a cow that lived across the way from us, and it had a very loud moo.
Kids might like it the first time they read it, but I don't think it is a book they would re-read.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
A city mouse is scared of a monster in the field, but the country mouse sort of figures out what it is ahead of time.
And I have to say, a beast like that would frighten a mouse. We used to have a cow that lived across the way from us, and it had a very loud moo.
Kids might like it the first time they read it, but I don't think it is a book they would re-read.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
November 11, 2019
Leo’s Monster by Marcus Pfister is a beautiful little book. A wonderful story along side amazing illustrations. My young niece loved the book very much.
Thank you netgalley for letting me read this.
Thank you netgalley for letting me read this.
November 15, 2019
This book is adorable and would be really fun to read to a group of kids as they try to figure out what the monster really is. The illustrations are bright and interactive. This is a library must!
August 29, 2020
Thank you NetGalley and North South Books Inc. for gifting me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The illustrations in this are different than any kind I’ve seen in a children’s book before, but they are gorgeous! It’s a cute story that teaches children that we shouldn’t judge things when we first see them and that they may seem scary at first, but that we should learn more about who or what they are. It’s simply written and short, but I think children will really enjoy it.
The illustrations in this are different than any kind I’ve seen in a children’s book before, but they are gorgeous! It’s a cute story that teaches children that we shouldn’t judge things when we first see them and that they may seem scary at first, but that we should learn more about who or what they are. It’s simply written and short, but I think children will really enjoy it.
September 15, 2021
Cute picture book about a city mouse visiting his country mouse friend and his encounter with the monster he finds there. Young children will enjoy trying to predict what the monster is and I'm sure will "ewwww!" in delight at one particular page.
August 27, 2020
What a clever children's book with the right mix of whimsy, suspense, and life lesson. Leo the city mouse visits his friend Zoe in the countryside and he comes upon a creature he's never encountered before, a MONSTER! But Zoe knows it's just the farmer's cow Bertha.
Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for a free digital copy for my review.
Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for a free digital copy for my review.
March 6, 2020
Zoe, a country mouse, invites her friend Leo to come visit, and she warns him to watch out for any ferocious felines. What he does encounter is much scarier! This monster has stampy feed, rancid breath, big strong horns... and its moo rumbles the ground. Wait, what? Silly and creative, Leo's Monster shows how the seemingly normal can be intimidating from another perspective.
November 17, 2019
Leo is a city mouse who goes to visit his friend Zoe, a country mouse, for the first time. Shortly after arriving, Leo has an encounter with a ferocious monster that terrifies him.
The rest of the book unfolds with Leo describing this creature to Zoe, who gradually realizes this so-called monster might not be the frightening, mysterious beast that Leo believes it is.
This is a brisk book, readable in just a few minutes. I can see my two year-old becoming obsessed: it has just a bit of tension and scariness, and a huge sense of wonder and imagination.
The real reason to check out the book is the gorgeous illustrations. Pfister gives the drawings a vivid sense of texture, as if you’re seeing the monster just as the mouse did. The colors are bright and vivid, and the overall effect is immersive and impressive. I only read a digital copy, so I can’t wait to see how luscious the pictures are in panoramic print.
The cleverest bit of the book is the way the monster evolves from page to page until it’s obvious we’re looking at a familiar farm animal. It’s a fun conceit that I think will play well to preschoolers.
While I don’t expect it to go down as a modern classic the way Pfister’s The Rainbow Fish has, I expect this to become a favorite for plenty of girls and boys — particularly the curious, monster-loving variety.
Note: I received a advance review copy of this book.
Read more of my reviews at ReadersByNight.com
The rest of the book unfolds with Leo describing this creature to Zoe, who gradually realizes this so-called monster might not be the frightening, mysterious beast that Leo believes it is.
This is a brisk book, readable in just a few minutes. I can see my two year-old becoming obsessed: it has just a bit of tension and scariness, and a huge sense of wonder and imagination.
The real reason to check out the book is the gorgeous illustrations. Pfister gives the drawings a vivid sense of texture, as if you’re seeing the monster just as the mouse did. The colors are bright and vivid, and the overall effect is immersive and impressive. I only read a digital copy, so I can’t wait to see how luscious the pictures are in panoramic print.
The cleverest bit of the book is the way the monster evolves from page to page until it’s obvious we’re looking at a familiar farm animal. It’s a fun conceit that I think will play well to preschoolers.
While I don’t expect it to go down as a modern classic the way Pfister’s The Rainbow Fish has, I expect this to become a favorite for plenty of girls and boys — particularly the curious, monster-loving variety.
Note: I received a advance review copy of this book.
Read more of my reviews at ReadersByNight.com
January 13, 2020
Leo, a city mouse, visits with Zoe, a country mouse for the very first time in the countryside. Zoe is baking a cake and leaves Leo to look around outside while she runs in to check on it. Happily Leo bounds out into the open air and into a scary encounter.
When Zoe returns she finds her friend scared and trembling. Whatever could be the cause of such fright? Leo finally stammers out that he just saw a ... MONSTER! Oh my!
Leo describes the monster to his friend: enormous tail that whips around, hard lumpy feet that can trample you, a long tongue that can rip half the earth apart and tear out trees, and two pointed horns that can gore you. This is some serious, dangerous creature. But is scary monster truly as bad as Leo imagines and describes to his friend?
The bestselling author of "The Rainbow Fish" series crafts a tale that is full of mystery, suspense and intrigue. Kids will have fun trying to guess what the actual monster really is and giggle when they discover the truth. The illustrations enrich the story. I recommend "Leo's Monster" to be read aloud as it is a captivating tale and that will have kids engaged right to the very end of the story.
When Zoe returns she finds her friend scared and trembling. Whatever could be the cause of such fright? Leo finally stammers out that he just saw a ... MONSTER! Oh my!
Leo describes the monster to his friend: enormous tail that whips around, hard lumpy feet that can trample you, a long tongue that can rip half the earth apart and tear out trees, and two pointed horns that can gore you. This is some serious, dangerous creature. But is scary monster truly as bad as Leo imagines and describes to his friend?
The bestselling author of "The Rainbow Fish" series crafts a tale that is full of mystery, suspense and intrigue. Kids will have fun trying to guess what the actual monster really is and giggle when they discover the truth. The illustrations enrich the story. I recommend "Leo's Monster" to be read aloud as it is a captivating tale and that will have kids engaged right to the very end of the story.
February 11, 2020
This is a lovely, simple book about a town mouse, Leo, visiting his cousin, Zoe, in the countryside. While he is exploring he meets a monster who frightens the life out of him.
I read this with my grandson, also called Leo, and he really enjoyed it. He is only two and so we read half of it and then came back to it later. He guessed what the monster was and felt very pleased with himself.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers and would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read with lovely illustrations and an easy to understand story. I would suggest an age range up to about six.
I read this with my grandson, also called Leo, and he really enjoyed it. He is only two and so we read half of it and then came back to it later. He guessed what the monster was and felt very pleased with himself.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers and would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read with lovely illustrations and an easy to understand story. I would suggest an age range up to about six.
November 13, 2019
Thank you to Negalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available on May 5th, 2020.
This little story is about two mice. There’s a country mouse named Zoe and, and her little buddy, Leo. Leo comes to visit Zoe, but discovers a terrifying monster. As he describes it to Zoe, she starts to suspect that the monster is, in fact, bovine in nature.
I thought the illustrations were cute, and the story was entertaining. My toddler, though had another opinion. He hated it. About three pages in, he looked at me and said, “It’s just a cow,” and the disdain with which he said it was actually a wee bit funny. I’m not sure what to make of his reaction. He gravitates toward history books anyway (seriously. This four year old has all the presidents memorized and can recognize them by face). Take his opinion with that in mind.
I guess that makes this review a mixed one. I liked the book, and think it would be great for toddlers. My toddler- the target demographic- seems to disagree. Take from that what you will.
This little story is about two mice. There’s a country mouse named Zoe and, and her little buddy, Leo. Leo comes to visit Zoe, but discovers a terrifying monster. As he describes it to Zoe, she starts to suspect that the monster is, in fact, bovine in nature.
I thought the illustrations were cute, and the story was entertaining. My toddler, though had another opinion. He hated it. About three pages in, he looked at me and said, “It’s just a cow,” and the disdain with which he said it was actually a wee bit funny. I’m not sure what to make of his reaction. He gravitates toward history books anyway (seriously. This four year old has all the presidents memorized and can recognize them by face). Take his opinion with that in mind.
I guess that makes this review a mixed one. I liked the book, and think it would be great for toddlers. My toddler- the target demographic- seems to disagree. Take from that what you will.
December 18, 2019
I received this ARC in exchange from Edelweiss+ in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Leo is a city mouse who has come to visit his friend, Zoe, in the country. He has never been out of the city so he has never seen a field, nor country animals. Zoe sends him outside to explore while she bakes a cake. When she goes out to find him, he comes running. He's scared out of his wits and tells her he's seen a monster. As he describes this horrific monster, Zoe jokingly suggests other descriptive words. What is this monster he's discovered??
My 5 yr old grandson is always involved when I'm reviewing children's books. After all, whether or not the children dislike, like or love a book is the most important factor isn't it? My little guy giggled throughout the book. So I'm taking that as a good sign. I too loved the book.
Leo is a city mouse who has come to visit his friend, Zoe, in the country. He has never been out of the city so he has never seen a field, nor country animals. Zoe sends him outside to explore while she bakes a cake. When she goes out to find him, he comes running. He's scared out of his wits and tells her he's seen a monster. As he describes this horrific monster, Zoe jokingly suggests other descriptive words. What is this monster he's discovered??
My 5 yr old grandson is always involved when I'm reviewing children's books. After all, whether or not the children dislike, like or love a book is the most important factor isn't it? My little guy giggled throughout the book. So I'm taking that as a good sign. I too loved the book.
November 12, 2019
The newest picture book from the author who gave us The Rainbow Fish, one of my favorites when I was little, is a funny story about a city mouse’s trip to the countryside and the “monster” he found there.
The art style is wonderful, which is, of course, what we’ve come to expect from Pfister. I love how the story and the art only give small hints as to the identity of Leo’s “monster” throughout but still makes it easy to be in on the joke by the time it’s revealed to be - well I think you’ll just have to read it yourself to find that out.
Leo’s Monster is due for release on May 5, 2020. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, NorthSouth Books, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The art style is wonderful, which is, of course, what we’ve come to expect from Pfister. I love how the story and the art only give small hints as to the identity of Leo’s “monster” throughout but still makes it easy to be in on the joke by the time it’s revealed to be - well I think you’ll just have to read it yourself to find that out.
Leo’s Monster is due for release on May 5, 2020. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, NorthSouth Books, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 10, 2020
I was attracted to this book because Rainbow Fish was one of my favorite picture books when I was a child. While I think the story and art style will entertain kids , I personally was not the biggest fan of the art in this. Something about the art was just a tad bit off and to be honest the eyes of the mice were just a tad bit creepy. Since art is pretty the majority of picture books , I can't really look past it. I will say I did like the brush stroke quality of it and did enjoy how bright colorful it was even if personally it was not my cup of tea. The story though is cute and fun and kids will have fun trying to guess what the "monster" is.
*I downloaded a free copy of this off netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
*I downloaded a free copy of this off netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
November 15, 2019
When a city mouse visits a country mouse he is sure to find new and strange thing. In particular a giant stinking grass loving monster. This enormous beast is sure to spread fear in any reader, unless they can figure it out before the end of the story. Pfister has been around forever, and his stories bring smiles to millions of faces. He puts his great mind to bring a mystery to the youngest that is both fun and educational. And the illustrations are great. They have bright colors and textures that are sure to please any reader.
December 21, 2020
Leo's Monster by Marcus Pfister is a beautiful little book that I will be excited to share. When I saw that it was by the author of The Rainbow Fish, one of my favorite books of my own childhood, I knew I had to read it, and I was not disappointed. Leo, the city mouse, visits his friend Zoe in the country side for the first time, and he is not prepared for what he will encounter. As before, his illustrations are stunning and really add to the story he is telling. He made this a fun read that will be so easy to make entertaining when reading to your little ones.
November 6, 2019
Cute! I enjoy Marcus Pfister books. I think it might make a good story time book for the littles. I only see the illustrations in b/w on my Kindle, but I know the hard copy will have wonderful, colorful illustrations the littles will enjoy looking at! Great book about a city mouse mistaking a common farm animal for a monster. Kids are going to love it!
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
November 12, 2019
Leo's Monster is a cute, well-written story about a "monster" that a young mouse sees in the yard. The story while well-written, was not my favorite. I've seen tons of other children's books out there that captured my attention more. The artwork in this book was pretty well done, however, the mice themselves were off-putting to me. This book was just okay, in my opinion.
This book was provided to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was provided to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 19, 2019
4 stars
Leo’s Monster was a cute book for kids. I like how the author added humor to Leo’s “scary situation”. When you find out who Leo’s mo after really is, it’s quite comical. And I think it’s a good lesson for kids as well to learn that not everything you aren’t familiar with is scary or a monster.
On another note, the illustrations were really cute as well!
Leo’s Monster was a cute book for kids. I like how the author added humor to Leo’s “scary situation”. When you find out who Leo’s mo after really is, it’s quite comical. And I think it’s a good lesson for kids as well to learn that not everything you aren’t familiar with is scary or a monster.
On another note, the illustrations were really cute as well!
February 28, 2021
This was an extremely cute book with even better illustrations. My son, who is 5, absolutely loved this book and thought the wording was so fun. The stuttering of the mouse was so cute and made it even better.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 23, 2019
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of the book. This is a not-scary suspense read for little ones and they can try to guess the ‘monster’ mentioned in the book using the description. A fun read with pretty illustrations,
November 24, 2019
I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
The illustrations were adorable as was the story. It was such a cute little story of overactive imaginations.
The illustrations were adorable as was the story. It was such a cute little story of overactive imaginations.
May 1, 2020
Leo's Monster by Marcus Pfister is a picturebook currently scheduled for release on My 5 2020. When Leo, the city mouse, visits his friend Zoe in the countryside for the first time, he meets a huge and horrible monster. It’s gigantic, has lots of horns, an enormous tail, and when it roars, the earth shakes. At least that’s what Leo saw. Or did he? Zoe thinks his description sounds just like Berta, the sweet-tempered cow in the meadow.
Leo's Monster is a brightly illustrated story that reminded me of the old legend about the blind men and the elephant. Trying to describe something we have never encountered before can be hard, and overcoming fear when facing something we do not know or understand can be hard. I think this story does a good job of showing readers that they are not alone in these reactions, and that sharing with a friend or trusted adult can help alleviate the fear, and find the truth behind the matter. I loved the artwork, and thought the changes to the 'monster' as the story progressed was a perfect touch.
Leo's Monster is a brightly illustrated story that reminded me of the old legend about the blind men and the elephant. Trying to describe something we have never encountered before can be hard, and overcoming fear when facing something we do not know or understand can be hard. I think this story does a good job of showing readers that they are not alone in these reactions, and that sharing with a friend or trusted adult can help alleviate the fear, and find the truth behind the matter. I loved the artwork, and thought the changes to the 'monster' as the story progressed was a perfect touch.
August 16, 2020
Mystery Revealed at the End
As a big fan of Sesame Street's The Monster at the End of This Book when I was a child, this book would have been right up my alley. City mouse Leo is visiting his friend Zoe in the country, but all he sees around him are monsters and scary, unfamiliar places. After a brief tour on his own while his friend bakes, he comes back to the house quite frightened by a monster he's discovered. The author very cleverly only shows bits and pieces of the “monster” as Leo describes it fearfully. We don't know until the end of the book what precisely Leo is seeing (though we can guess). Super fun and great for kids who have a natural curiosity and will try to figure out what the big “monster” is in this book as Leo (and the pictures) reveals more about it. The illustrations are finely detailed and well done. Super cute and fun. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
As a big fan of Sesame Street's The Monster at the End of This Book when I was a child, this book would have been right up my alley. City mouse Leo is visiting his friend Zoe in the country, but all he sees around him are monsters and scary, unfamiliar places. After a brief tour on his own while his friend bakes, he comes back to the house quite frightened by a monster he's discovered. The author very cleverly only shows bits and pieces of the “monster” as Leo describes it fearfully. We don't know until the end of the book what precisely Leo is seeing (though we can guess). Super fun and great for kids who have a natural curiosity and will try to figure out what the big “monster” is in this book as Leo (and the pictures) reveals more about it. The illustrations are finely detailed and well done. Super cute and fun. Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
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