{"id":42022,"date":"2023-01-18T22:26:09","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T03:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=42022"},"modified":"2023-01-18T22:26:09","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T03:26:09","slug":"review-of-monsters-in-the-fog-by-ali-bahrampour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=42022","title":{"rendered":"Review of Monsters in the Fog, by Ali Bahrampour"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Monsters in the Fog<\/em><\/p>\n

by Ali Bahrampour<\/p>\n

Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2022. 32 pages.
\nReview written December 23, 2022, from a library book
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

Oh, this book is exactly what I love in a picture! A sweet story full of surprises with a great message and a twist at the end. This is one of those picture books that makes me sad I’m not doing storytimes any more.<\/p>\n

The main character is Hakim, a donkey. He reminds me of Sylvester, from Sylvester and the Magic Pebble<\/a><\/em>. The beginning pages set the stage:<\/p>\n

It’s hard to knit a sweater with your hooves,
\nbut Hakim somehow did it.
\nIt was a present for his friend Daisy,
\nwho lived on top of the mountain.<\/p>\n

He packed the sweater in his saddlebag.
\n“She’ll love it,” he thought. “It gets cold up there.”<\/p>\n

It was a foggy morning.
\nHakim could barely see the end of his nose.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Then Hakim starts encountering others on the narrow, winding trail. The first one appears out of nowhere and warns Hakim to turn around because there are monsters up the mountain!<\/p>\n

And then Hakim starts seeing frightening shapes in the fog. But when he gets closer, they turn out to be other frightened travelers. My favorite one is the shape like a screaming skull that turns out to be a bear on a runaway tricycle.<\/p>\n

Each animal Hakim encounters ends up joining the group climbing the mountain, with help carrying things in Hakim’s saddlebags. The last shape in the fog they encounter ends up being a wonderful surprise.<\/p>\n

At the end, Hakim gives his friend her present and the other animals go on their way in the sunshine on the other side of the mountain.<\/p>\n

But I love Hakim’s wise words first:<\/p>\n

“Everything looks like a monster in the fog,” said Hakim.
\n“But the closer you get, the less scary it becomes.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is a picture book that’s destined to become a classic.<\/p>\n

alibahrampourbooks.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Picture_Books\/monsters_in_the_fog.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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