When my boys were younger we read the book “Goodnight Moon” at least a million times. To this day I can still recite parts of the book by heart. So when I spotted the parody “Goodnight Goon” by Michael Rex I had to check it out.
Here are my thoughts:
- Rex does a great job capturing the spirit of Margaret Wise Brown’s classic.
- The illustrations are fun and colorful.
- While I don’t expect this book to replace the original “Goodnight Moon” this well done parody is clever fun that fans of the original will appreciate.
Michael Rex has also parodied ”The Runaway Bunny” another classic Margaret Wise Brown book. I did not get a chance to review this book but if it is as clever as “Goodnight Goon” I am sure fans will not be disappointed.
To stay with the Halloween theme this week, I also decided to share my book thoughts on the book “Beastly” by Alex Flinn
Here is the description from the jacket flap:
I AM A BEAST
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.
Here are my book thoughts:
- I love fairy tale revisions and the author gives us a pretty true telling of a modern version of the Beauty and the Beast story.
- This was a fun quick read, with a sweet romance and interesting characters.
- I liked the slight twist at the end that had me thinking about the story and rereading several portions again.
The movie version of this story is scheduled to be released in March 2011. Here is the trailer for the movie:
If you are looking for some fun reading while waiting for the trick or treaters I suggest you check out the books by Michael Rex and for the older ones “Beastly” by Alex Flinn.
Suzanne Santillan
Writing on the Sidewalk
