The Lonely Lake Monster by Suzanne Selfors and Dan Santat - HIGH

The Lonely Lake Monster (Imaginary Veterinary) by Suzanne Selfors, illustrated by Dan Santat. 205 pages. Little, Brown and Company, 2013. $16. 9780316225670

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

In the second book of The Imaginary Veterinary series, Pearl Petal and her friend, Ben Silverstein, have been hired to work for Dr. Woo, head of the clinic for imaginary creatures. Pearl and Ben were assigned to clip the toenails of a sasquatch, but Pearl’s curiosity got the better of her when she saw something in the clinic lake. Choosing to go against the rules, Pearl and Ben sneak over to see what is in the lake. Ben then becomes the captive of a lake monster. In the process of trying to rescue Ben, Pearl recruits the help of a sick leprechaun. What lengths will Pearl go to in fixing the situation? Suzanne Selfors has created a fun story about a clinic for sick imaginary creatures.

Although Pearl’s curiosity and adventures are a bit irritating for an adult reader, they seem enjoyable for this age group. I had some concern about all the lies Pearl seemed to be telling along the way, but, in the end, she fessed up. A genius idea at the end of the book was to talk about the history of the imaginary creatures and give ideas for fun related craft and science projects to do at home.

MOMMAC