"I'm the biggest monster / that you've ever seen! / My eyes are purple / and my teeth are green." So begins the rhyming narrative of Monster Boogie, which uses the words of Laurie Berkner's song of the same name as text, and pairs them with bright, attention-grabbing artwork by Ben Clanton. Eventually, by inviting the two children he is visiting to join him in the Monster Boogie, our green-toothed guest allays their fears...

I wasn't sure, going into Monster Boogie, how I would react, given that Berkner and Clanton's previous collaboration - We Are the Dinosaurs, another picture-book based on a Berkner song - left me mostly unimpressed. I'm glad I gave this one a try, despite my lukewarm reaction to the earlier title, as I found both narrative and artwork here appealing, and think the book would make an excellent reassurance story for children afraid of monsters lurking in the dark at bedtime. My only qualm, in this respect, is the potentially frightening two-page spread at the beginning of the book, which shows the monster ostensibly leaping across the room, claws extended. If young children can get past that one frightening scene, however, they'll be in for an entertaining treat. Recommended to Laurie Berkner fans, and to anyone looking for lighthearted monster fare. ( )

This is a fun mix—an addictive song paired with bright illustrations—which brings monstrous entertainment.

There's a monster in the bedroom, one with green teeth and purple eyes. He appears to be scary, at first. But this monster doesn't have roars and growls in mind. All he wants to do is boogie and wiggle.

Laurie Berkner's song comes to life in these pages, allowing an energy packed monster to come to life. The text is simple enough for even younger listeners to understand and, coming from the song, repeats itself. Although this does come across as repetitious at times (especially on the refrain), it does make the phrases catchy for kids and easy for them to 'read' along even when they can't read the words themselves. A possibly scary monster transforms into a source of giggles and will have young readers boogie-ing and wiggling themselves. Still, the message is clear—first impressions can be deceiving. Because this monster is anything but frightening.

The illustrations are bright and add just the right amount of silliness and excitement. While the phrases from the song repeat themselves, the action in the illustrations does not. It's the combination of these two which makes the book entertaining.

For those, who aren't familiar with the song or might want the chance to play it themselves, the music score is on the back of the book. But even without it, this is an easy to enjoy read which guarantees smiles for fans of silly monsters.

I received a complimentary copy and found it so fun to read that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts. ( )