Hattie and Hudson by Chris Van Dusen - OPTIONAL

Van Dusen, Chris  Hattie and Hudson  PICTURE BOOK  Candlewick Press, 2017.  $16.99  Content: G.  

A lake monster lives in a cave at the bottom of the lake.  He is lonely even though there are a lot of people who play on the lake top.  One day a little girl, Hattie, draws the monster to the surface with her singing and they become friends.  Other people are afraid of the monster and think they need to catch it, but Hattie hatches a plan where Hudson the monster saves her and then the people see that he is a nice monster.  The plan works and soon Hudson is a friend to all who play on the lake.  

The illustrations in this book are fantastic, especially the adorable lake monster, Hudson.  The story is a fun look at how friendship can come unexpectedly.  There is a lot of text, so it’s not a fast read but it is a sweet story.  

EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.