Review: Creature Carnival by Marilyn Singer, Gris Grimley

Creature Carnival by Marilyn Singer
My rating: 3 of 5 genies
Genre: Juvenile, Fiction, Humour, Poetry
Published: April 1, 2004
Pages: 40
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Source: Library Loan
Format: Hardback
Purchase At: Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

This collection of twenty-six poems features some of the creepiest, funniest, most bizarre, and fascinating creatures from myth, legend, and popular culture. Marilyn Singer has written more than sixty books for children and young adults, including Monster Museum, the companion book to Creature Carnival. She and her husband divide their time between Brooklyn, New York, and Washington, Connecticut. Gris Grimly made his picture book debut with Monster Museum. Since then he has illustrated Pinocchio and his own Wicked Nursery Rhymes. Gris Grimly lives in Los Angeles, CA.

The Skinny

Creature Carnival is a lovely, albeit wacky take on some age-old myths, legends, and all around crazy folk lore. The book delighted me probably more so because I wasn't expecting it. The rhymes are at times clever and funny, and the book itself engaging enough for its intended audience; I read this in front of my younger brother and we had a blast! Some of the monsters in the Creature Carnival are a bit strange though, be warned, and others look as if they were put through the ringer a.k.a. Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She, as do many others, embody a slightly more jaded edge than their classical personas, and part of why I took out this book in the first place was its unconventional twist, so the concept worked well for me.

I got a sense of juvenile Tim Burton with the illustration in general as the images had a jagged quality and trademark through the looking glass-feel that Burton's work usually embodies. Overall, this is a fun and lively book for anyone in need of a quick read.

3/5 genies: This is the halfway point, nothing was too incredible, but

I'm not burning this book with fire. Give it a try!