School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-This guide to all the nocturnal household monsters that create children's irrational fears is both funny and reassuring. Thach shines a light on these mysterious creatures and shows readers how harmless they are: they are really hiding from each other-and from us. The clever rhyming text glides along, encouraging children to turn the pages to finish each stanza or find the answer to a question. "The first is very near-at-hand, just underneath your bed./There upon the hardwood floor he lays his hairy head./He shuffles through the dust and dark; he likes to watch your feet./At times he'll steal a sock or two-that's all he likes to eat." The illustrations show a pajama-clad girl and her cat who seem startled by every creak and groan. The monsters are revealed as comical creatures whose bizarre appearances belie their harmlessness. And the girl does not go through her explorations alone: she has her cat and her flashlight to bolster her courage. Pages have a blue tone that creates an eerie, nighttime glow. Udovic's use of changing page layouts is very effective in maintaining readers' interaction with the story. Most pages are horizontal spreads, but several vertical spreads are interspersed. A terrific way to begin talking about nighttime fears with children, this book would also work well for group read-alouds.-Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Yup--it's another book about a little girl making friends with the monsters who inhabit her house. One's under the bed, of course. Another's in the closet, as usual. Like the cellar and attic monsters, these two are more cute and colorful than scary. The rhyming text flows smoothly as it follows the girl and her cat from room to room, enumerating the monsters' quirks and explaining why each chooses to live in a certain spot . . . each is hiding from another monster in or under the house. Attractive double-page spreads, several of which require rotating the book to view it vertically, appear to be executed in oil pastels. The varying perspectives and unusual angles help to freshen this take on a perennially popular topic, but some readers may still wonder whether the world needs yet another monster story. The answer, of course, depends on the listeners. Many of them will likely enjoy this mild adventure once, but few are likely to demand repeated readings. Don't worry, though; there's bound to be another like it coming out soon. Fun but forgettable. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Is something hiding among the spiderwebs behind the washer? What is that noise in the closet? Now perhaps you're old enough to finally face the truth / Your house is full of monsters from the basement to the roof. There's lots of shivery fun in this debut picture book. Presented in simple rhyme and large, unframed pastel pictures, the story focuses on a little girl who sees blurry shapes that seem to have bulging eyes, hands with huge nails, and long greasy hair. As it turns out, the monsters she envisions are more frightened of one another and of her than she is of them. The reversal is both reassuring and deliciously creepy, with spooky details lurking in the shadows and rustling in the dark. Great for Halloween, but also fun the year round.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2007 Booklist
