ALA Booklist (Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

A boy is terrified when a furry, googly-eyed monster enters his room one night. Though friendly, the young monster has a hard time convincing the boy that he's there to play. The boy's parents respond to his calls for help with the usual reassurances, but soon the monster reappears, borrows the kid's bike, and takes a spill. While he can't understand the monster's words, the boy notices his tears and fetches first aid supplies. They quickly bond and start having fun, each speaking his own language as they ride the bike together, raid the kitchen, and watch the sunrise. The story unfolds in comics-style panels, with visual cues and speech-balloon dialogue providing the narrative. The monster's mysterious comments are translated in the appended Monster-to-English glossary (Gribble! = Sorry!; Zow zee bup = Want a turn?). Kids who learn all 11 phrases will start hoping that a monster stops by, if only for a conversation. Firm black lines and solid colors give the illustrations a childlike look. A satisfying picture book that will leave you smiling.

Kirkus Reviews

A young boy can't sleep because there's a monster outside his bedroom window!He calls his parents to investigate, but the monster hides. The monster peeks through the boy's window with an exclamation of "Goop-zee-googy!"…then enters the boy's room to pinch his nose ("Zork! Zork!"). The boy is scared but musters up the courage to tell the monster to go away. He crawls back into bed triumphantly only to find the monster stealing his bicycle. When the monster crashes the bike, the boy is initially furious about the cycle's ruined wheel despite the monster's remorseful "Gibble"-until he notices that the monster is hurt and, just like any kid, needs some comfort and first aid. The boy realizes that the monster isn't trying to scare him-the monster is trying to play! (Readers will have figured this out long before thanks to its expressive three-eyed face.) Together the two form a friendship that keeps them both up, making mischief despite the language barrier, until dawn. The story is drawn as a comic book, featuring speech bubbles and cartoon human and monster characters. The sparse text is entertaining and efficient, working together with the movement-packed panels to push the story forward. A backmatter Monster-to-English glossary allows readers to go back to earlier panels and translate. The boy and his parents all have pale skin.A lighthearted take on an unlikely friendship. (Picture book. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

As this comics-style story opens, a white child who has just binned a frightening monster book (then checked under the bed) spies an orange critter in the window with gangly arms and three googly eyes. Called in for backup, one parent hammers a -NO MONSTERS ALLOWED- sign in the front yard, but the monster returns almost immediately, seemingly eager to play. Not understanding the exuberant being-s language, the child doesn-t realize that -Goop-Zee-Googy- is in no way threatening; instead, the kid responds first with fear, and then with indignation when the monster rides, and accidentally crashes, their bike. But a little mutual kindness goes a long way, and in bouncy, distilled scenes that exude burgeoning chumminess, the two become co-conspirators in a nonstop, middle-of-the-night adventure, messing around on the bike and swings, and raiding the fridge. They even pick up a little of the other-s lingo: -Zuzzer!- says the human, as the two sit in a tree house and watch the sunrise. -Wow!- the monster agrees. With visual and verbal directness and broad humor that gently tackles themes of assumption and exclusion, Plourde (The Boy Whose Face Froze Like That) and Lowery (Wood Could) capture a special night out-one that may remind readers of their own comics creations. Ages 3-7. Author-s agent: Susan Cohen, Writers House. Illustrator-s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (June)