The Kind-Hearted Monster, by Max Velhuijs

A fire-breathing dragon shows up at a village halfway to nowhere and the villagers--befriend it?  Of course, if it's The Kind-Hearted Monster!  Max Velhuijs's monster doesn't want to be attacked, and doesn't want to be a soldier, and he certainly doesn't want to sit in a cage while people stare at him.  But he finds a way to fit in and be appreciated in this little village.

Velhuijs tells two stories in The Kind-Hearted Monster.  The first introduces the monster to the village. In the second, word of the kind-hearted monster reaches a band of thieves, who decided to steal him and sell him.  Not to be too much of a spoiler, but you should know that it doesn't work out too well for the thieves.

The pictures are cute and colorful.  The text is simple but clever.  The cover says, "Two classic stories."   Time will tell if this book becomes a classic, but it has a classic storybook flavor that will appeal to kids and the grown-ups who read books to them.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!