Review of the Day: May Mama Says There Aren’t Any Zombies, Ghost, Vampires, Creatures, Demons, Monsters, Fiends, Goblins, or Things by Judith Viorst, ill. Kay Chorao

Happy Halloween!

It’s the last day of October and that means a final spooky scary picture book is up for discussion. Hat tip to Stephanie Lucianovic for suggesting today’s title. Kate and I learn that apparently Judith Viorst is a big time fan of extra long titles (something that was hinted at when she created Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day). In today’s book we see some seriously fashion forward footwear and hats, the true horror of cream cheese sandwiches, and why this book should actually be called MY MOM IS GASLIGHTING ME.

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While this book purports to show how freaked out the kid is by these monsters, he just looks fairly bemused on the cover.

Very Struwwelpeter fingernails and hair going on in this first monster, but it’s the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band outfit that’s particularly fascinating. And the comb in the pocket? *chef’s kiss*

By the way, you may have noticed that monster #1 is sporting some truly magnificent boots. Are those hippos on them? WHERE CAN I GET THESE!?!?

Here then is a summary of some of the fashion forward styling choices Kay Chorao placed upon these pages. There are, as I mentioned, the boots:

There’s also the testy lady that gets eggs spilled on her by our hero, but her shoes! Her mouse headed purse! “This is just an entire book of Shoes Betsy Wishes She Could Own.”

The Fiend in this book is now wearing a hat that is, in Kate’s words, “It’s giving me fierce! It’s giving me fabulous! It’s giving me funky! This book is giving me fah-shun!”

Here’s a stumper. How the heck did Barnum’s Animal Crackers get into this book? Like I say on the podcast, one of these day I am legitimately going to do a blog post on all the different moments of random product placement you can find in children’s picture books over the decades.

As in The Shrinking of Treehorn or Bea and Mr. Jones, the illustrator had a lot of fun with the wall art in this story. I mean . . . what is going on here?

The true mystery of the entire story, however, is this: Who would belt a bear?

Is it strange that when Kate and I saw this image of the ghost and saw the chains we both used the term “Marley vibes”?

Kate Recommends: Halloween Deviled Eggs, seen here.

Betsy Recommends: Everything Everywhere All At Once which, in turn, has inspired my favorite Halloween costume of the year: Raccacoonie (note the bagel with everything purse).

Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate