Module Fourteen...The Monsterologist.

The Monsterologist: A Memoir in Rhyme ghostwritten by Bobbi Katz
Illustrated by Adam McCauley

Katz, B.  (2009).  The Monsterologist:  A Memoir in Rhyme.  New York, NY:  Sterling Publishers.

Synopsis:

This book is a clever list of poems about the travels of a man who is a self-proclaimed “monsterologist”.  The “monsterologist” tells the stories of historical monsters:  Count Dracula, trolls, ogres, werewolves, grendels, golems, Medusa, Cyclops, ghosts, witches, King Kong, Godzilla, Bluebeard the pirate, Frankenstein’s monster, Loch Ness monster, The Kraken, zombies, and The Yeti.  He also reports on some “newly discovered” monsters like “The Compu-Monster” (a monster that destroys hard drives), The Verbivore (a monster that destroys book and book spines), and the dredded “Suds-Surfing Sock-Eater”.  The book uses very descriptive language to describe the monsters (which is great for middle-school boys who still like gross things).

Reaction:  I enjoyed this book and thought it was well done.  It’s not Shakespeare but it is cute non-the-less.  I would not have enjoyed it as a young girl just because the writer uses a lot of “gross-out” language but I am pretty sure young boys will enjoy it.  The drawings were inventive and I thought they were perfect for this story.

Reviews:

Chipman, I. (2009). The Monsterologist: A Memoir In Rhyme. Booklist, 106(2), 61.  Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text, EBSCOhost (accessed April 28, 2013).

Definitely not to be mistaken as an entry in the increasingly ubiguitous Ology line, this book offers a collection of hideous beastie-based verses.  From an invitation to visit Count Dracule to an international zombie census, the quality of the poems is wildly inconsistent, sometimes as even from line to line, as when a clever gross-out (“Greasy green lizards / and raw chicken gizzards,”) gets a poem rolling, only to have it fall flat on its face with “spell binding spells / cast by spell-casting wizards.”  More often then not, thought, bursts of devilish humor and winking creepiness keep things moving, and McCauley’s well-designed pages-outfitted in a sort of loose, splashy collage, with a few sturdy fold-outs-have browsing appeal.  Cleverly, alongside old favorites-from medusas and witches to krakens and the Lock Ness Monster-Katz dreams up her own baddies, like the compu-monter, that gobbles up hard drives, and the voracious Verbivore (take heed, librarians!).

Kinnaird, K.  (2010).  The Monsterologist: A Memoir in Rhyme.  Librarians’ Choice Blog.   http://librarianschoices.blogspot.com/2010/03/monsterologist-memoir-in-rhyme.html

In this ghoulish collection of poetry, a renowned “Monsterologist” shares his wisdom with young readers. The scientist’s dangerous world travels and strange experiences with the paranormal are all documented in this clever “memoir” that encourages intrepid children to follow in his footsteps and practice “Monsterology.” Monsters as diverse as Count Dracula, Medusa, The Kraken, Yeti, and Godzilla are all included in this scary collection.

Katz’s bizarrely fun poetry covers a wide range by including both popular and some lesser known monster myths. Older readers will enjoy the rhyme and content of these accessible and entertaining poems. McCauley’s mixed media illustrations are appropriately gruesome and greatly add to the charm of the book. The embossed cover, letters written in script and fold-out pages lend a scrapbook feel to the memoir. This volume will be popular with young people looking for fantasy poetry.

Library Use:

This could be used as part of the display for Halloween, supernatural creatures or as a travel journal, because the “monsterologist” does a lot of traveling.