Rudy and the Monster at School

This story of friendship introduces early readers to the world of classic monsters. Despite being full of mummies, monsters and ghosts, though, the scariest things about Rudy’s story are the fear of not fitting in and the threat of bullying.

Rudy is a werewolf and understands the power of the pack. His pack of friends love skateboarding and football at playtimes. They are a little frustrated by the arrival at school of Frankie, an enormous gentle giant of a monster whose clumsiness causes all sorts of problems in class.

Rudy and his friends are faced with the dilemma of how to be kind and tolerant without letting Frankie spoil all their fun. Some of the other children – the demon boy Jimmy Voll, in particular – are less willing to give Frankie a chance, and the story explores what it means to be a good friend in difficult circumstances.

With bright, bold illustrations in black and blood-red generously adorning each page, Rudy and the Monster at School is visually striking. The spooky setting evokes traditional horror movies but readers looking for scares will be disappointed. The book rarely departs from its main issue of friendships and fall-outs and, though it delivers powerful messages in a child-friendly manner, there are few moments of humour or drama to excite young readers. With other episodes in Rudy’s series on the way, there are plenty of avenues to be explored with this friendly werewolf.