Ruffleclaw, an earth monster, lived in a burrow in Tommy's backyard before he decided to move into his house. Even though Tommy has always longed for a dog, he is not sure he wants a pet that eats earthworms, drinks shampoo, and takes bites out of his belongings. After Ruffleclaw wins him over, they discover how Mom reacts to "vile vermin" leaving her piano littered with crumbs and sticky with honey. Still, the little red monster loves her music, creating a bond between them. Now if only someone could cure Dad's fur allergy, perhaps Ruffleclaw could stay. This entertaining early chapter book is a down-to-earth fantasy full of cheerful chaos, cartoonlike action, and amusingly grubby details. Through dialogue and descriptions, the clash of cultures (human versus earth monster) provides plenty of humor as the story unfolds. Funke's grayscale artwork appears throughout the book. The lively full-page and spot illustrations help define the characters and settings, while the double-page cross-section scenes showing Ruffleclaw's underground den are particularly nice. Fast-paced and fun. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Funke's fans are really stretching in age range, meaning that there's no evidence of her reach doing anything but growing right along with them.

Ruffleclaw, an earth monster who's tired of living underground, moves in with his human neighbors, Tommy and his family. Spitting, messy, worm-eating earth monsters, though, do not understand human customs and manners, and Tommy must work hard to get his mother and (highly allergic) father on board. Full of kid-pleasing gross humor, the lively monster story includes black-and-white spot art by the author.