Children's books: Monsters on Mill Street by Sarah Sparks, illustrated by Sypha Vendez

The Monsters on Mill Street Series by Sarah Sparks, illustrated by Sypha Vendez
Published October 2023 via ViaNova Productions
The Bounciest Monster on Mill Street
The Angriest Monster on Mill Street
The Messiest Monster on Mill Street

Into the world of children's books—this time, with monsters!

The Monsters on Mill Street series introduces (you guessed it) a set of monsters living on Mill Street—each with a little something to learn in order to make life a bit easier for themselves and those around them. The series is consistently lively, with colorful illustrations and an entertaining vibe while also teaching young kids a little bit about regulating their emotions.

In The Bounciest Monster on Mill Street, we're introduced to Becks—a lively yellow bundle of fur, but also a bundle of energy. She just can't sit still, and the story sees her bounding and bouncing and boinging away. What's a monster to do with all that energy?

This book gives kids a chance to get the giggles as Becks bounces and causes minor chaos in the process—but it also offers some a simple way to redirect some of that energy so that the chaos is lessened and the crash isn't quite so hard. I love the playful, colorful illustrations here (Becks looks, fangs and all, completely cuddlable...if she slows down long enough to be held!). The ending did feel a little abrupt, but I hope future books in the series will see the different monsters interacting.

In The Angriest Monster on Mill Street, we meet Albie—a tiny blue monster whose rage makes him roar. But while letting out all that rage feels good in the moment, it's not so great for the people around him!

As one of the Monsters on Mill Street series, this validates young children's feelings while also demonstrating ways to express those feelings a bit more productively (or at least less destructively!). The illustrations are colorful and clean, and the whole thing is super playful—I love all the little details, like a skull shape as a door knocker. I can easily imagine stuffed toys being made to represent these monsters, too.

In The Messiest Monster on Mill Street, Max is too busy having fun to worry about a little mess...until that little mess becomes a big mess that threatens to swallow him whole!

I have to be honest here...of the Mill Street monsters, Max is the one I'd least like to cuddle. Too much dirt, and too many smells! Max's redemption arc is focused on cleaning up his room and taking better care of the space around him, but slight tweaks could also turn this into a story for kids who dislike bathtime. But as ever, the illustrations are wonderful fun (for some reason I particularly like the way Max's nose is drawn), and the book reinforces lessons for kids about tidying as they go so as not to have to deal with a huge mess later.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing review copies through NetGalley.