Here are a pair of easy reader books from the I Am Reading series.  Both will appeal to kids who like monsters, witches, and other semi-scary beasties.

Creepy Customers by Samantha Hay, illustrated by Sarah Warburton is the story of Steve who is forced to help out his dad in the pharmacy during the first day of his school vacation.  He expects it to be dull, but then a parade of strange customers arrive.  Kids will enjoy seeing who is coming into the shop next.  This is a book that will get even kids who don’t enjoy reading started.

The Perfect Monster by Sally Grindley, illustrated by Erica-Jane Waters features Mungus Bigfoot, a monster who is the loudest, rudest, smelliest, and worst monster in his class.  Because he is so good at being a monster, he is asked to help Emily Twinkletoes become more monsterlike.  But Emily is more like a human child.  She tries to be nice, worries about how others feel, and sings instead of growling.  As Mungus starts to teach Emily, he realizes that it is nice to have a kind friend.  But how are they going to have her become the perfect monster then?  This is a light, sweet story where the monster theme will draw kids in. 

The Stars Will Still Shine by Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke is a picture book set to a poem.  It reassures readers that nothing will change in the new year: “The sky will still be there, the stars will still shine.”  While the verse by Rylant is lovely, the illustrations really make this book special.  They capture the warmth, joy and vibrant color of life, showing us that there is a beauty in what will never change.

Share this one with a child in the new year.  It is a quiet story, perfect for bedtime snuggles and lap reading. 

A Gift of Gracias: The Legend of Altagracia by Julia Alvarez and illustrated by Beatriz Vidal is a picture book based on the Dominican legend of Altagracia.  Our Lady of Altagracia, Our Lady of Thanks, is known for the wonders she worked.  In this book, she gives dreams to a young girl named Maria instructing her to plant oranges on their failing farm.  She burns her image into a blanket that gives light when the family needs it most. 

The illustrations fully capture the magic and traditional feel of the tale.  The entire book has a wonder and faith about it that pays homage to the original legend.  This is all done with a minimal amount of text, allowing even small preschool children to enjoy the story.  Simply wonderful.

Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart by Pat Mora, illustrated by Raul Colon is a magical Southwestern tall tale.  Flor is an enormous woman as tall as the mountains.  She uses her size and strength to help the people who live near her. She grows  huge flowers that she lets the children play with.  She makes enormous tortillas that can be used as roofs and rafts.  She searches out a fearsome animal whose growls have been terrorizing the villagers.  And throughout it all, she demonstrates kindness and a very big heart.

The marriage of text and illustration is wonderfully done, with neither leaning on the other but both contributing to the story and making it better than it could have been.  This exquisitely done story is one that is perfect to share when studying tall tales at school.  We finally have a woman large enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Paul Bunyan.