The Monster in the Lake
Genre or Category
Texas 2x2
Target Age Group
PreK – 2nd Grade
Summary
Eric the duck and his friends decide to take a swim in the lake, but Eric is hesitant to go because of the monster in the lake. His friends don’t believe his story and tell him not to worry. When Eric comes face to face with the monster in the lake, he discovers that not everything is what he imagined as he goes on an adventure in an underwater world.
Justification
I selected this book because of the mysterious mood of the lake with matching illustrations and the idea that a monster was lurking somewhere close. I felt it would be a thriller or mystery genre for children and I found that appealing. When I first saw the title, I assumed the monster in the lake would be a crocodile or alligator and felt compelled to read the story and find out.
Evaluation
For this review, I will be evaluating illustrations, tension, and theme.
The illustrations in this book were very involved and helped to develop the plot. You almost do not need the words to understand what is happening in the story. This book includes a feature where the pages fold out and create a multi-page illustration that children are sure to love. The images help to create an ominous mood under the lake when the story begins and we have no idea what is beneath. The pictures show quite a contrast in the ducks above the lake and the deep darkness below them.
This book did an excellent job of creating tension for the reader. In the beginning of the story I just knew something was lurking—I could feel it. Eric was worried and the water seemed worrisome. Every time I turned the page I kept expecting to see a monster. The tension starts to ease when you finally see the monster for the first time. I was expecting something scary with large teeth but surprised when I noticed some fun colorful aspects of the monster and felt a little better for Eric.
The theme of this book is that things are not always what they appear to be or how they seem. Many times in my life things and/or situations seemed to be much scarier than they truly were. We can build things up in our minds and create fear and anxiety. This story is a great way to approach the concept with young children. Once Eric made it to the underwater monster city the story took a turn. What was once something to be afraid of became something fun and playful.
References
Timmers, L. (2023). The Monster in the lake. Gecko Press.