Kipper's Monster

Mick Inkpen captures the delicious scariness of what might go bump in the night in Kipper's Monster. The trouble starts when Tiger and Kipper pick up a picture book that begins, "Deep in the middle of the dark, dark wood, there lived a horrible, horrendous, terrible, tremendous..." Just to torture themselves further, they decide to camp in the woods that night with the book. Of course, once outside, Tiger has second thoughts, especially with imagined bears, a tremendous "Screech!" coming from a hole in a tree, and the shadow on the tent wall of something with horns! (It's just a snail.) They don't get very far in their reading of the scary book until they're safely back in Tiger's bedroom. As ever, Inkpen's drawings are charming and expressive, and the happy ending will make youngsters feel safe and cozy. (Baby to preschool) --Karin Snelson