Benita and the Night Creatures

BENITA AND THE NIGHT CREATURES is a delightful picture book about magic and the joy of reading. Benita has found a great new book to really sink into at the same time Cuco has found her house and decided to haunt it. When he tries his best, Benita distractedly responds without any of the fear he expects. When Cuco recruits some friends, Tunche and Supay, to help haunt the house, Benita is finally fed up and asks them to be quiet so that she can read. They then become interested in reading and love the stories Benita shares with them from her books.

What I loved: This is absolutely delightfully silly fun. Although Cuco, Tunche, and Supay could seem like scary monsters, with Benita's dismissive responses and indifference, they are not actually frightening at all. As the story continues, the reader begins to feel for the monsters, who are dismayed at the way Benita ignores them. The conclusion of all of them loving reading is really adorable and shows the power of a good story.

The pages turn quickly, with only a few lines on each. Font color choices evoke the emotions of the dialogue and feature as part of the art. The images of the creatures and Benita are colorful and fun, helping to bring to life the story without being scary.

The illustrations are all done on black to help bring to life the nighttime setting. The font is printed in white or light/bright colors which make it really easy to read, even in low light settings such as at bedtime. Backmatter adds additional context to the Peruvian monsters, which was really fascinating! This book has quickly become one of my kindergarteners favorite picks for bedtime, and it's one we can both enjoy together. This would work well for preschoolers and up.

Final verdict: BENITA AND THE NIGHT CREATURES is a delightful story of monsters and books that will charm young children, making the scary into something charming. Highly recommend picking this one up!