Monster and his little boy tackle Monster's first day of school.The big blue beast, resembling one of Sendak's Wild Things, is a quivering mess at the thought of school, but he quickly settles in and begins to learn and enjoy himself—until he observes his classmates bullying another kid, that is. "He made some friends at recess, who invited him to play. / But when he saw them teasing, he spoke up without delay. / ‘I know we're friends, but teasing's wrong. / It's something I despise, / No one should be ridiculed. There is no compromise.' " At these words, his new friends change their ways. Readers may point out that it's easy for a big blue monster to stand up to bullies but harder for regular kids, but the fact that Monster has feelings just like them will go a long way to making this credible, and Czajak spells it out when he writes "The teasing stopped when Monster / said he wouldn't go along." Grieb's digital artwork plays up Monster's size and expressions, and the class is diverse. Young readers may need their own educations to tackle some of the vocabulary here—"motivation," "pursue," "monumental"—and the rhyming text sometimes stumbles. Still, Monster's message is an important one, and his boy has a valuable point: "It's hard to deal with bullies, even harder / when they're friends."A rhyming bullying tale with some worthwhile lessons. (Picture book. 4-8)

-I know I have a lot to learn, but school is strange and scary./ What if I get bullied since I-m blue and very hairy?- The furry star of the Monster & Me series is back in his sixth picture book, and the unnamed boy he lives with does his best to assuage Monster-s fears. As with many reluctant school goers, Monster -start having fun- after the day gets underway-and he isn-t even the only student with blue hair. Czajak gets in some good, dry-humored jokes (during music class, -Monster figured out the gift of song was not his thing-), which help counterbalance the moralizing tone of a thread involving playground bullying (-I know we-re friends, but teasing-s wrong. It-s something I despise./ No one should be ridiculed. There is no compromise-). Still, kids (or parents) looking for a dose of school-is-great positivity will find it. Ages 2-8. (June)

PreS-Gr 1 Czajak and Grieb's newest installment in their series addresses the topic of first day of school jitters and playground bullying. After much convincing and reassurance from the school-age boy narrator, Monster agrees that he does have a lot to learn and gets on the bus to go to school with his human. In art, music, and French class, Monster proudly enjoys all that he is absorbing at school, even though he self-consciously stands out among classmates. Initially afraid of being teased by bullies himself, particularly because he's "blue and very hairy," Monster is able to stand up to his friends when they become the bullies. At recess Monster notices children teasing one another and he quickly speaks up: "I know we're friends, but teasing's wrong./It's something I despise./No one should be ridiculed. There is no compromise." Grieb's fun, animated, and bold illustrations are vivid and packed with detail for lively visual impact. However, the rhyming text, while playful and feel-good, is somewhat forced and uninspired. Further, the message about how to deal with bullies is handled in a quick and facile manner. VERDICT Order where the earlier titles in the series are popular. An additional purchase for most libraries. Brianne Colombo, Pequannock Township Public Library, NJ