Petit, the Monster

Petit is puzzled. He’s a good boy when he plays with his dog. But he’s a bad boy when he pulls a girl’s hair. He can be very nice to his grandfather but terrible to pigeons. It’s good when he takes care of his toys, but very bad when he doesn’t want to share them. In short, the world is mysterious to Petit. It’s exhausting trying to figure it all out. This book by the three-time Hans Christian Andersen finalist Isol is a brilliant, funny, and ever-so-true recreation of a small boy’s world. The ambiguities and confusions confronting the behavior of people, even small children, are perfectly and lovingly observed and wonderfully illustrated in this little masterpiece. Every child (and every grownup with any honesty) will recognize themselves in this story.