by Moe Zilla

Created on: May 27, 2009

Mo Willems doesn't just write about pigeons. In 2005, he wrote and illustrated the story of "Leonardo, the Terrible Monster." As a former writer for Sesame Street, Willems knows a few things about funny monsters - and now he'd built up a loyal audience of young readers for his stories about an impetuous pigeon who wants to drive a bus, get a puppy, or eat hot dogs. On the cover of this book, the author has even started identifying himself as "Your pal, Mo Willems."

There's a green monster with a pink nose on the first page, as Willems tells his young reader that Leonardo "was a terrible monster." Not terrible as in terrifying, but terrible as in "he couldn't scare anyone." (Willems even draws the monster roaring with its blue tongue and jagged teeth, while two adults look on smiling pleasantly.) Willems draws an example of a truly scary monster - named Tony, who had 1,642 teeth. And another example of a scary monster is Eleanor, who's so big that only her feet appear in the illustration!

So what's Leonardo going to do? Doing research with a stack of books, he tracks down the most-easily frightened kid in the world - Sam - and then sneaks up behind the unsuspecting boy. He pounces and growls and waves his arms - all in a single drawing - and celebrates when he sees the little boy crying. ("Yes...!" Leonardo cheers. "I've finally scared the tuna salad out of someone!") But in this book, it's the little boy who resembles the pigeon from Willems' earlier series - since he explodes with a long list of grievances, explaining that he's got lots to cry about than some wannabe monster!

The illustrations are just as funny as the text. In one, Willems draws a three-eyed monster - wearing three-eyed spectacles, plus suspenders and a green top hat, to represent Hector, the monster who was "just plain weird." But my favorite drawing shows Leonardo practicing his scaring techniques - and the page shows six different drawings of the un-scary monster. (In one, he's simply wearing a paper bag over his head, onto which he's drawn a scary face!)

In the book's ending, Leonardo makes "a very big decision" - and the book's monster ultimately delivers a very warm message. Instead of becoming a terrifying monster, Leonardo would become "a wonderful friend." He hugs the crying boy, and holds his hand as they walk together. But Willems can't resist one last joke on the final page.

"[T]hat didn't mean that he couldn't try to scare his friend every now and then!"

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