Monster! Thirsty! Drink! by Sean Taylor and Fred Benaglia

Monster is very hot and thirsty but Oh No! he drops his drink, and all the water splashes out. He is determined to find another drink and thinks that the Squeeze Me Please cart is just the place to get one, but there is a huge queue, and he knows that he cannot wait. Then he spots a kangaroo handing out bottles of water, but bother and blimmeration, he must run a whole race to get one. He is so thirsty! What can he do?

Young readers will laugh out loud at the antics of Monster as he tries to get a drink, all the while sympathising with him as he is so thirsty on such a hot day. The refrain Monster! Thirsty! will have them shouting out along with the text. The narrative is scattered with different fonts and font sizes, the words all emphasizing the anguish that Monster feels as his thirst gets worse. Readers will roar with laughter when they see him desperate for a drink, approaching a toilet ‘where billions of bottoms have sat!', and there will be giggles galore as he needs a wee after drinking all the water in a pool.

Benaglia’s vivid and very funny illustrations make Monster a very memorable character. I loved the picture of him so thirsty that his tongue was dragging along the ground. There are many humorous details that grab the eye and add to the fun.

Monster! Thirsty! Drink! is very funny book that is sure to be a favourite with young children, who will want to have it read again and again.

Themes: Monsters, Thirst, Humour.

Pat Pledger