Amazon.com Review
Alonzo King dreams of being known as The Boy of a Thousand Faces after his hero, Lon Chaney, late star of horror films. Alone in his room he transforms his face with makeup and tape, and then takes pictures with a Polaroid. In a town of nonbelievers, Alonzo is an expert on monsters, vampires, and assorted ghouls. One year, as Halloween approaches (as does Alonzo's 10th birthday), rumors of a mysterious beast start circulating, and suddenly Alonzo's grisly expertise is in great demand. But who--or what--is this horrible beast that crushes gladiolas in the night and leaves claw prints on cars? And will Alonzo's wish for fame and understanding from his friends and neighbors ever come true?
Brian Selznick's black-and-white pencil drawings set a spooky stage for this story of intrigue and imagination. Although the plot is convoluted and faintly perplexing, the overall effect is pleasingly sinister. Close-ups of Mr. Blake, Alonzo's seemingly mild-mannered neighbor and cohort in all things macabre, inspire speculation about skeletons he may be harboring in his own closet. Readers will want to run right out and read The Lost City of Atlantis, or rent the old classic versions of Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera, and Dracula. Perfect Halloween fare from the illustrator of Andrew Clements's Frindle and Pam Munoz Ryan's Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride. (Ages 7 to 11) --Emilie Coulter
From Publishers Weekly
Selznick's (The Houdini Box) offbeat tale introduces Alonzo King, a boy who has a Halloween birthday, an imagination on overdrive and an obsessive love of monsters. The 10-year-old's heroes are Mr. Shadows, the host of a late-night TV show that airs classic horror movies, and Lon Chaney, "an incredible actor... who was called 'The Man of a Thousand Faces.'" Alonzo's goal is to be "The Boy of a Thousand Faces" and to that end he spends a good deal of time transforming his face with paint, makeup and tape so as to mimic some of the spooky countenances he has viewed in frightening flicks. As Halloween approaches, stories circulate about The Beast, an elusive monster that is allegedly stalking the town, and Alonzo becomes a self-described "expert" on the creature. Given the dramatic buildup concerning The Beast, kids are likely to be disappointed with the story's anticlimactic resolution. Interspersed with several photos and film stills, Selznick's closely focused, black-and-white illustrations are more impressive than his narrative. Characteristically detailed and moodily lit, at their best they approximate the pleasurable melodramas of the scary movies Alonzo so enjoys. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
