Lionel the Lonely Monster

Here is Lionel, not much like a lion, but oh so sad, with his crumply horns, his spikey tail and his woebegone mouth. Carrying a placard with FREE HUGS he cannot find anyone to befriend. Children run, scared, and grownups are too busy to notice him. Unbearably sad and weepy, he then encounters a yappy dog who gives the monster a “concerned prod and a lick”. Their friendship begins, but when they reach the playground, again all the children scream and run away. Only when Monster realises the dog is looking sad does he see the LOST poster on a tree, with a picture of the dog, and he sees his dog collar identifies him as Milo, the lost dog. How to resolve the story? Squeals of delight by the owner as Monster returns Milo to the address on his collar, followed by howls of horror as the girl spots Monster on her pathway. Finally, they are all three playing together, with the little girl promising he would be her BFF. A gentle tale with a few twists, admirably portrayed in pastel shades, with lots of small details, ladybirds, snails and fly agarics to draw the eye from the main action. This gentle colouring makes the huge black capitals of MONSTER! scream off the double spread, near the end. A warm story to show the power of kindness and how one should not judge others by appearances, it will appeal to all small children with a sense of fun.