Two Monsters

The monsters live one on each side on a mountain so that each has a one-sided view of life -- it isn't sunset, it's the onset of night. The initial verbal disagreements turn to physical violence as they hurl rocks as well as insults at each other. The rocks get bigger and the only victim is the mountain, which is flattened. With a new wider view of the world each monster realises that each was right. The readers are left to draw their own environmental and ecological conclusions about the cost of this 'new understanding'. The simple tale is vividly illustrated with page-size pictures of the silly monsters. Young children will enjoy the expletives; they will enjoy predicting the ending. The text is typically uncompromising and will make a good read-aloud for a Lower Junior class.