I Loathe You (review)

A little monster questions the depths of its monster parent's loathing in this comic reversal of those ubiquitous picture books about the depth of a parental affection. When Little Monster wants to know how much Big Monster "loathes" it, Big Monster unleashes (in rhyming text) a litany of blissfully disgusting examples as evidence of its intense loathing towards Little Monster. Still seeking reassurance, however, Little Monster worriedly wonders if a loss of monstrous behavior and characteristics would put off its parent ("Suppose someday I lose my stink?/ What would you say? What would you think?") Big Monster devotedly vows, "Nice or nasty, kind or mean,/ I loathe you up, down, and between." The message of love is clear, and the expression of it will be hilariously funny to the kids who would squirm or roll their eyes through Guess How Much I Love You. The rhyming text generally rolls smoothly and cleverly along: "Think how deep my loathing reaches—/ more than ticks or slimy leeches./ More than what the cat dragged in,/ with what the dog threw up thrown in!" The acrylic and charcoal illustrations are appropriately large and lively, and the monsters are fuzzy, big-toothed guys who look like a cross between Muppets and Mercer Mayer's Little Critters. Slonim is especially good at evoking humor through the figures' facial expressions and posture, whether depicting Little Monster in mid-bite on an upholstered chair or the hapless goldfish pop-eyed with terror as they sproing down the stairs. Share this as part of a monster-themed storytime, or use it as a bedtime book for those with a more astringent picture-book palate.