Inside Mary Elizabeth's House

Like so many of Allen's books, this one, with sparse text and bold illustrations, oozes humour. Little Mary Elizabeth is a toughy, brazenly telling the doubting big boys there is a monster at her house. She says her rough and rowdey monster has red blood-shot eyes and sharp pointy teeth, but the boys just laugh at her. The page-spreads alternate between blood-red (the painted house with the monster straining to get out) and white, for the conversation between girl and mocking boys. Mary Elizabeth finally calls their bluff, inviting them to her house. 'We're here and we're hungry. What's for dinner?' they yell. Turn the page, and we meet the huge, hairy monster, screeching at the fleeing boys. 'YAAAAAAAAHHHHH!' The book closes with Mary Elizabeth smugly marching off with her monster. 'Now they believe me,' she says. A very satisfying story, one to snap shut, before re-opening for another read.