Poesy the Monster Slayer

Written by Cory Doctorow

Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller

First Second

978-1-62672-362-7

40 pp.

Ages 4-7

July 2020

 

Her parents may be typical in their frustration with a little girl who just won't go to sleep but her reason is very atypical: she has monsters to slay.

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

With Halloween only days away, there may be much talk of monsters and creatures of the night. Some children will be frightened just as many already are of those horrors that tend to come out when the lights are dimmed. But for Poesy Emmeline Fibonacci Russell Schnegg, whose parents use her full name the more frustrated they become with her, it's her parents who frustrate her. 

"Parents! Always with the bedtimes!"

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

After her father finally leaves with a "PLEASE stay in bed tonight" Poesy is ready. She's been reading her monster book and she knows about all of their weaknesses. When the werewolf appears, she's ready with her wand and Princess Frillypants silver tiara. Of course, her father hears and chastizes her for playing with her toys. (She doesn't explain about the werewolf.)

Then there's the Great Old One who "made a noise like a frightened teakettle in a blender rolling down a hill" which she swiftly dispatches with her bubblegum perfume in its eye. This time it's her tired mom yelling at her to get back to bed.

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller

Kindly Poesy realizes she must "take care of the rest of the monsters more quietly" though, of course, her parents hear her as she disposes of a vampire and Frankenstein's monster. When morning finally comes around, it's her parents who look the worse-for-wear.

A prolific writer, Toronto-born Cory Doctorow is better known for his science fiction and tech non-fiction writing. Though he has written for YA readers, this is his first picture book and I suspect the premise of getting a child to bed, especially one whose name is almost identical to that of his own daughter, may be a very personal one. But with much humour, about how Poesy sees her parents–"He was so tired that he stepped on a Harry the Hare block and said some swears. Poor Daddy! Rotten monsters!– and how she slays the monsters, Cory Doctorow takes something from the scary side to the funny side. Matt Rockefeller's illustrations, rendered in pencil, graphite powder and coloured digitally, have a cheekiness to them, surprising because of the dark nature of the story. But together, words and art suggest that those monsters in the dark can be handily taken care of by a child.

Poesy the Monster Slayer will empower your little ones if they have any fears about the monsters that may lurk in their rooms after dark, though it might not hurt to ask them politely to keep the noise down so their hard-working caregivers can get some well-earned sleep.

 

From Poesy the Monster Slayer by Cory Doctorow, illus. by Matt Rockefeller