It’s been done before I grant you, but this one is a real hoot. Anna Van Ogre is fabulously ugly. She has big ears and a wart on her nose and two… count ‘em…two… highly attractive teeth. She spends her day being good- as in stomping on the flowers and throwing dirt into the house.
You get the picture. She is truly not what we all expect when we think of beauty and good behavior. Happily not. She’s a mess.
Ian Falconer’s hilarious illustrations are wonderful bait leading us gloriously on to see what horrid thing Anna will do next to please her parents.
Until the day…. the day comes when Anna makes the scariest face ever…..
There are a lot of books out there today encouraging our young listeners to value themselves for who they are on the inside. Their courage, their kindness, etc. matter more than their outside appearance. This story takes that concept in a direction that will absolutely delight the Jokesters of the world who really can’t take any more of this touchy feely nonsense.
Read it for how smart it is. Turn the pages to be utterly delighted by the pics.
One of my favorites of the year. So fresh and smart and fun!
32 pages 978-1662665271 Ages 5-8
Keywords: humor, beauty, values, monsters, family, fun, self image, self acceptance, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, bookandahug.com
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David Sedaris and Ian Falconer make a spectacular splash with this tale of a monster turned ugly—stuck with a human face!
In this beautifully gross picture book, Anna Van Ogre’s lovely monster face turns into that of a sickeningly adorable, rosy-cheeked little girl—and it’s not switching back! Can she find a way to stop looking like an ugly human and regain her gorgeous monstrosity of a face? The dynamic duo of nationally acclaimed comedian David Sedaris and renowned children's book author Ian Falconer comes together to ponder the perpetually relevant question: is true beauty really on the inside?---from the publisher
