Babymouse: Monster Mash

(Babymouse 9)

by
Jennifer L. Holm

&

Matthew Holm

Random House, August 2008, 95 pp.
ISBN: 978-0-375-84387-7

Genre: Early Chapter
Subgenres: Graphic Novel / Humor
Reviewed: 6/18/2010

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Graphic Novel Page

Synopsis

Babymouse is really looking forward to Halloween. At the costume store, Costumes "R" Us, she tries out some fangs and pretends she is a werewolf. When Felicia and her friends see her, Babymouse tells them that she is having a hard time deciding what to be for Halloween: a werewolf or a zombie. The girls laugh at Babymouse and Felicia informs her that girls have to be pretty for Halloween. She tells Babymouse that it us a Rule. Babymouse isn't very happy to hear about this Rule.

The next night, Babymouse's mother informs her that she can have a Halloween party after she goes Trick-or-Treating. Babymouse daydreams about how awesome her party is going to be with her dressed up as a Pharaoh mummy and fog rolling in.

The next day at school, Babymouse tells her friends about her party. Felicia overhears and asks if she and her friends are invited. Babymouse reluctantly says that they can come.

The following day, Babymouse is overcome with students asking if they can come to her party because Felicia told them about it. Then Felicia says that Babymouse needs to coordinate her costume with theirs. They want her to dress up like a princess. Babymouse is appalled.

The next day, Felicia gives Babymouse a list of food that she must have at the party. The day after that, Felicia informs Babymouse that she has to go Trick-or-Treating with them before the party. How do you think that will go? Not well . . .

All Babymouse wants is a simple Halloween party with a few friends. Now she feels forced to wear a costume she doesn't want. She feels forced to invite a bunch of kids to her party that she doesn't want there. She feels forced to buy food for the party that she doesn't want to have. She feels forced to go Trick-or-Treating with Felicia and her friends. This is not the Halloween Babymouse wanted.

Babymouse: Monster Love is the ninth book in the Babymouse series and is written and drawn by sister and brother team Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. This humorous book is a graphic novel about a young mouse and her and her ability to cope with everyday situations. This book is intended for girls ages 6 to 10.

Review

All Babymouse wants for Halloween is to dress up like a scary monster. Then, after her mother says that she can have a party, Babymouse just wants a small, intimate party with her best friends. Poor Babymouse. She sure doesn't have the Halloween that she dreams of.

Babymouse: Monster Mash is all about peer-pressure. Felicia Furrypaws pressures Babymouse to invite her and her friends to Babymouse's party. Then, she pressures Babymouse to dress up like a princess. After that, Felicia tells a lot of kids about the party and Babymouse feels pressured to invite them all. Felicia pressures Babymouse to buy all sorts of food for the party. Then, to top it off, Felicia pressures Babymouse to go Trick-or-Treating with her.

Peer-pressure can be a terrible thing. Sometimes kids just need to learn to say, "No! I'm not going to do that." Sure, it is hard to do, but they will feel good about their decision. You cannot let another person rule your life and make decisions for you, unless they are your parents, that it. But Babymouse hasn't seemed to have learned that lesson, and she is miserable because of it.

I really liked that this book is colored in orange, instead of the traditional pink of the first eight books. It adds a nice touch and really makes it feel like a Halloween book.

Once again, the story and the artwork in this Babymouse book are wonderful. Babymouse is such an entertaining series that early chapter readers will just gobble the books up, like the candy they get from Trick-or-Treating. Mmmm . . . tasty.

Overall, Babymouse: Monster Mash is another excellent Babymouse book. I really look forward to Babymouse singing in her next book, Babymouse: The Musical. Sing, Babymouse, sing!

I rated this book a 9 out of 10.