4 stars

Leo’s Monster was a cute book for kids. I like how the author added humor to Leo’s “scary situation”. When you find out who Leo’s mo after really is, it’s quite comical. And I think it’s a good lesson for kids as well to learn that not everything you aren’t familiar with is scary or a monster.

On another note, the illustrations were really cute as well!

What a cute story this is. A town mouse goes to stay with a country mouse (sound familiar). While the County Mouse is attending to her baking, Leo the town mouse has a look around outside. There he meets a monster of epic proportions. After some questions from Zoe, the country Mouse, Leo takes her to find the huge ground shaking monster.
A fun lively book about with bright illustrations. Good story to read aloud.

This book is adorable and would be really fun to read to a group of kids as they try to figure out what the monster really is. The illustrations are bright and interactive. This is a library must!

When a city mouse visits a country mouse he is sure to find new and strange thing. In particular a giant stinking grass loving monster. This enormous beast is sure to spread fear in any reader, unless they can figure it out before the end of the story. Pfister has been around forever, and his stories bring smiles to millions of faces. He puts his great mind to bring a mystery to the youngest that is both fun and educational. And the illustrations are great. They have bright colors and textures that are sure to please any reader.

Thank you to Negalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available on May 5th, 2020.

This little story is about two mice. There’s a country mouse named Zoe and, and her little buddy, Leo. Leo comes to visit Zoe, but discovers a terrifying monster. As he describes it to Zoe, she starts to suspect that the monster is, in fact, bovine in nature.

I thought the illustrations were cute, and the story was entertaining. My toddler, though had another opinion. He hated it. About three pages in, he looked at me and said, “It’s just a cow,” and the disdain with which he said it was actually a wee bit funny. I’m not sure what to make of his reaction. He gravitates toward history books anyway (seriously. This four year old has all the presidents memorized and can recognize them by face). Take his opinion with that in mind.

I guess that makes this review a mixed one. I liked the book, and think it would be great for toddlers. My toddler- the target demographic- seems to disagree. Take from that what you will.

The newest picture book from the author who gave us The Rainbow Fish, one of my favorites when I was little, is a funny story about a city mouse’s trip to the countryside and the “monster” he found there.

The art style is wonderful, which is, of course, what we’ve come to expect from Pfister. I love how the story and the art only give small hints as to the identity of Leo’s “monster” throughout but still makes it easy to be in on the joke by the time it’s revealed to be - well I think you’ll just have to read it yourself to find that out.

Leo’s Monster is due for release on May 5, 2020. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, NorthSouth Books, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Leo’s Monster by Marcus Pfister is a beautiful little book. A wonderful story along side amazing illustrations. My young niece loved the book very much.

Cute! I enjoy Marcus Pfister books. I think it might make a good story time book for the littles. I only see the illustrations in b/w on my Kindle, but I know the hard copy will have wonderful, colorful illustrations the littles will enjoy looking at! Great book about a city mouse mistaking a common farm animal for a monster. Kids are going to love it!

This is quite a cute story. I first encountered this author's work in Who Stole the Hazelnuts?, which I didn't love (I found the pictures a bit creepy). I enjoyed Leo's Monster a lot more... and I would have liked it even better had the resolution of the story not been completely spoiled by the synopsis.

Leo, a city mouse, visits Zoe, a country mouse, and goes outside to have a look around. He comes back to Zoe's place shaken, thinking he's seen a monster. As Zoe tries to get a description of this monster out of him, the narrative and the illustrations both start to hint at a cow (which would've been much more fun to see had we not already been told that's what the monster was).

The illustrations here are really interesting. I'm not sure what you call the technique, but it looks like it's done with acrylic paint, adding an intriguing texture. The style runs throughout the illustrations, and it's used to good effect on everything from the animals' fur to the grass to a steaming pile of manure.

While I think the story is a little weak (and Leo's stammering in terror is just a little overdone), I do think this could be an entertaining book for children. Just don't read them the back matter; instead, let them try to figure out the identity of the monster on their own.

What a delightful book from well loved author Marcus Pfister. His Rainbow Fish book delighted children with bright colors and simple dialogue. This tale of a wee mouse who encounters the unknown creature in a field of green will be sure to be a favorite in both home and libraries. I loved the illustrations and the sweet story. This book will help kids to face their fears and understand that not all unknown things, once explained, are scary.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.