The Shy Creatures (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Shy Girl

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fierce mythical beasts find a helpmate in this visually striking but ultimately saccharine children's debut by a prominent comics artist. When a teacher asks her pupils about their goals, a pigtailed girl peeks from behind a stack of books. 'I want to be a doctor to the shy creatures,' said the shy girl. Or she would have, if she wasn't so shy. If she would only talk, the girl would describe how she imagines bandaging Bigfoot's stubbed toe, repairing a unicorn's broken horn (so he wouldn't be forlorn) or treating a phoenix for heat rash. Mack, in a radical departure from his Kabuki graphic novels, salutes Dr. Seuss (by way of creep-meister Charles Burns) in his art and layouts. When the introvert balances on a tower of drinking glasses and introduces her very shy fish,/ who lives in a very high dish, Yertle the Turtle and The Cat in the Hat are points of reference. Yet the Seussian grace is missing. Mack's mostly polished ink line drawings, tinted with opaque colors against a white ground, occasionally look clumsy, and the girl imagines her unspoken wishes being greeted by mechanical scorn: 'Ha ha ha!' the class would laugh. Mack pairs a gentle soul with misunderstood monsters, but his cloying whimsy and flatfooted rhymes suggest that he has yet to find the right voice. All ages. (Sept.)
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From Booklist

What if Bigfoot stubbed his toe? Or if the Abominable Snowman overheated? Or Cyclops needed glasses? A shy girl who can't say a word in class imagines herself as a doctor healing each scary monster. The creatures may seem terrifying, but they are really just as shy as she is. In his debut children's book, comics artist Mack has huge fun with legendary monsters, celebrating the grotesque in a rhyming text and glossy, colorful double-page-spread pictures that may call up some of Dr. Seuss' work but still have a winning, solid charm of their own. The weird and the gross are a big part of the fun (aliens with hairless, oversize heads eat eye boogers with fries), as is the little girl's fantasy of power and acceptance. Children can read about the unfamiliar creatures in the monsters' glossary, located on the verso of the title page. Rochman, Hazel

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (August 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312367945
• ISBN-13: 978-0312367947
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #682,122 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Son Loves It, October 24, 2008

By	E and D's mommy (Fayetteville, NC USA) - See all my reviews

My son has loved this book since he was 3 years old. I had to keep checking it out at the library and sometimes it wasn't in, so finally I just bought it. It's really cute.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sure To Be Your Child's Favorite! , August 22, 2007

By	T. Daniel "hiddenrobot.com" (Missoula, MT United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Originally tucked inside David Mack's long running comic book master piece, Kabuki, The Shy Creatures is presented here in its entirety in this beautiful children's hardcover. The illustrations and rhyme scheme will remind parents of Doctor Seuss and Maurice Sendak classics, while young readers will appreciate the underdog heroine and her band of imaginary, mythological and cryptozoological friends. Every child is sure to laugh out loud at the Yeti's grooming which results in a poodle cut or the Chupa Cabra who receives a new smile courtesy of some seriously huge dentures! I allowed my daughter to read the comic book presentation of this story and she asked for it 3 nights running. Full of imagination, laughs and a little shy girl you'll all root for, this is destined for classic status, an excellent bed time story that will send your children off to sleep with a smile.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shy Creatures, February 10, 2009

By	K. Helms "k80" (Bowie, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent book for children of all ages. It offers a unique take on imaginary creatures and suggests that we can all use a friend sometimes.