Even monsters need haircuts by Matthew McElligott

This is a perfect Halloween book. Not too scary, not too silly, but the just right mixture of funny and scary! A little boy likes to watch his dad at work in his barbershop. Once a month, he's a barber too! He sneaks out at night, down to the barbershop and sets up his tools....and in come the monsters, ready for haircuts!

There's plenty of spooky, with a mysterious knocking at the door, gruesome monsters and lots of dark shadows. There's also plenty of funny, with an elaborate hairdo for Medusa, silly names for the little boy's equipment, and the different monsters' requirements. There's even an element of sweet, the little boy's admiration and emulation of his dad. The illustrations alternate between cameo insets of a few characters and full spread scenes, often with swirling shadows and layered colors.

This is just right for storytimes around Halloween or reading aloud to preschool and kindergarten classes at any time!

Verdict: Recommended for holiday collections specifically, but good for general picture book collections as well.

ISBN: 978-0802788191; Published July 2010 by Walker; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library