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Summary
Summary
Just before midnight, on the night of a full moon, a young barber stays out past his bedtime to go to work. Although his customers are mostly regulars, they are anything but normal-after all, even monsters need haircuts. Business is steady all night, and this barber is prepared for anything with his scissors, rotting tonic, horn polish, and stink wax. It's a tough job, but someone's got to help these creatures maintain their ghoulish good looks.
Perfect for Halloween, this is a hilarious story about a boy who follows in his father's footsteps . . . in his own monstrously unique way.
Author Notes
MATTHEW McELLIGOTT is the author of several books for children, including The Lion's Share , Absolutely Not , and Backbeard and the Birthday Suit . He teaches at Sage College and also visits elementary schools around the country. He lives in New York.
www.mattmcelligott.com
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-The young narrator learns a lot from watching his barber dad in action-how to give a good haircut or trim, treat his clientele with respect, and give them what they want-even if the "regulars" are monsters. Literally. Once a month, Frankenstein, Cyclops, Vlad, Medusa, and others fill the barbershop chairs after midnight strikes, and the boy (who never breaks the rules and NEVER leaves the house alone) stands atop a ladder or chair, and-clad in monster slippers, pj's, and "shamp-ewww"-filled pockets-competently gives each customer a new do. With a jewel-toned palette in ink, pencil, and digital art, the shadows of night brighten in the barbershop to bring out the personalities of a lighthearted collection of monster-inspired characters. The art invites both inspection of humorous details for individual readers and an opportunity for exploration of voice and mood in a read-aloud. Fears of the unknown are faced as a human arrives at the shop during the wee hours, yet the boy ("More nervous than I have ever been") never backs down and takes care of business. Narrated in the voice of a child, this offering is perfect for young readers facing a bit of personal anxiety.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services Plano ISD, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In McElligott's delightfully deadpan story, a boy sneaks out to his father's barbershop for a full-moon session of monster haircutting. Grainy washes with simple, black outlines reflect the gentle art of barbering as the boy stands on a stool (blindfolded) to braid Medusa's snakes, as other monsters patiently await their turns. "Some customers are easy," the boy says, as he cuts a single, springy hair from a one-eyed troll. "Some are more difficult," he goes on, tackling a hairy fiend with pruning shears. With the distinctive combination of the freakish and the humdrum, it's a good candidate for the stack of battered bedtime favorites. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
When the full moon rolls around, a little boy heads to a barbershop; there he cuts the hair of assorted monsters. Silly puns ("shamp-ewww") and visual gags ("Can you take a little off the top?" says a headless man) bolster the humorous premise. The art features scads of creatures, some familiar (Frankenstein's monster) and some made up for this story. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
ewww"). A little short on logic but full of crowd appeal. (Picture book. 5-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
This charming offering posits an especially appealing fantasy: once a month, just before midnight, a young boy sneaks out of his house, goes down to his father's barbershop, and spends the night cutting the hair of monsters. His version of the shop is a bit different: the photos are flipped to portraits of various creeps, and his equipment is a mite strange, too: The rotting tonic, horn polish, and stink wax go on the counter. The shamp-ewww goes next to the sink. Every monster presents a challenge: the wolfman requires heavy-duty shears, Medusa's snakes require intricate braiding, and the skeleton well, it's tough to know what some customers want. McElligott's ink, pencil, and digital illustrations are more subdued than most picture-book monster tributes, which gives this a pleasantly fuzzy, after-hours feel. From the bizarre creature creations to the gently colored backgrounds, there is a lot of care and heart put into this package, which makes it stand out in a crowd of overly zany Franks and Dracs.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist