The Most Terrible of All by Muon Thị Văn (review)

Smugg the monster asks his mirror every morning, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the most terrible one of all?" The answer is always Smugg himself, until one morning it's not. Knocking down his neighbors' door, Smugg interrogates a monster-filled house: "Are you the one who's the most terrible of all?" The most terrible is really the monsters' younger sister, still in diapers, who scribbles on walls, destroys books, and cries—and she's capable of some serious flatulence. Smugg competes with the baby to be most terrible, but the two take a liking to each other, and Smugg finds a loophole in his question to the mirror: who's "the most terrible over two feet tall?" This readaloud is funny (Smugg's comical contest with the baby), adorable (the expressions of the monsters), and gross (a full page dedicated to a baby monster fart) in just the right fashion for kids. Myers captures the monsters and their neighborhood in thick strokes of oil and acrylic that depict Smugg and his shenanigans in lush and gruesome detail. Bonus jokes for readers and read-to include some well-known monster-fied book titles in the background (Where the Tame Things Are, The Taking Tree, and The Tale of Peter Rabid). Older siblings will find Smugg's situation relatable if they've ever resented a younger sibling for hogging all the attention, and everyone will appreciate the enjoyably brash art and harmonious ending. NB