3 out of 4 stars
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The grandparents of five year old Blake James live in a town that is surrounded by mountains and thick woods. Within those spooky woods, lives a monster that the townsfolk have named Sneaky. Very few men have actually seen this monster. Those that have, describe Sneaky as green and hairy with three eyes. When the monster growls, fire shoots out of his eyes and mouth. It is Christmas time in this mountainous town, and the people have been complaining of their Christmas decorations going missing. All signs point to Sneaky as the culprit, and Grandpa has decided to hunt him down. Young Blake wants to go along with his grandfather. Against the wishes of his grandmother, Blake is allowed to go as long as he minds what Grandpa says. What will they find when they locate the monster’s home, and what will they do with Sneaky?
Sneaky: The Hairy Mountain Monster is a children’s book written by Norma Fleagane and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc. Told from the 3rd person perspective, this book is about a town that is being tormented by a monster, and what the townsfolk finally decide to do about it. Blake and his grandfather set out to capture Sneaky, but instead learn a valuable life lesson.
This is a quick 31 page read that is just right for parents and other caregivers to read with their children. The problem set out in the story is clear, as is the journey towards a solution. The moral of the story is expressed well, and gives opportunity to discuss prejudice and the misjudging of others without coming on too strong or overbearing. I came across no spelling or grammatical errors in my reading.
The book is illustrated by Jasmine Mills, and the scenes are depicted very well and add nicely to the story. The drawings are realistic, with appropriate facial expressions to show the emotions and feelings of the characters. The woods are appropriately spooky and dark in appearance. The only issue I really had was that the dark forest is used as a sort of backdrop for the text. This might make it a little difficult for a younger reader, since the dark background makes it a little harder to read the words. There is a sufficient amount of pictures to keep the attention of young children, but the story itself is long enough for me to suggest it be read aloud by older children or adults.
The themes I notice in the story are bravery, pride, and courage; while the moral touches on tolerance, understanding, and acceptance. These are timeless lessons, and even adults will benefit from a reminder to have an open mind.
If I could give this book 3.5 stars, I would. But, since I cannot, I give this book a strong 3 out of 4 stars, due to the difficulty in reading the text against the dark background. The spooky woods coincide with the story so well, but unfortunately don’t provide the best of backgrounds for the words. I think this story can be enjoyed by both children and adults, and may even foster a nice family discussion afterwards.
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Sneaky The Hairy Mountain Monster
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It just so happens that The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is my favorite Christmas tale, and this sounds a lot like it, so I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Thanks for the review!
