The Yark by Bertrand Santini (review)

Poor Yark. For centuries, he has feasted on the flesh of tiny, innocent kids, but modern times produce fewer and fewer edible children, since his gut simply can’t handle brats or bullies. An ill-selected supper of a teasing older brother gives the monster a “demonic case of diarrhea” that rockets him into the sky, sending him into space until he eventually crashes into a lighthouse. That lighthouse houses Madeleine, a virtuous child the likes of which the Yark has rarely encountered—she’s so sweet, in fact, that the Yark can’t bring himself to eat her. The storytelling in this import has a Dahl-esque deadpan element that mocks any kind of morality play for kids, and there’s plenty of subversive glee in the casual talk of farts, poop, boogers, etc. The intricate black and white illustrations are detailed and textured with hatching, reminiscent of Sendak at times in its monster take and its engraving-indebted style. For all the book’s bravado of rebelliousness, it concludes on an endearing note; readers who revel in potty humor and/or those that appreciate an earned happy ending will find much to love here.