The Block Mess Monster    by Betsy Howie & C. B. Decker Order:  USA  Can Henry Holt, 2008 (2008) Hardcover     Reviewed by Hilary Daninhirsch Any parent who has ever been frustrated with a child's messy room, and any child who has an aversion to a clean room, will relate to this cute picture book. The text is sparse; the pictures tell most of the story of Calpurnia, the imaginative child-artist who has created a scary piece of artwork made out of blocks. It is known as the Block Mess Monster. While Calpurnia's harried mom is insisting she clean her room, Calpurnia resists - after all, the monster is there and does not want to be cleaned up. Mom, of course, cannot see the monster for what it is; she only sees a giant mess. Soon, however, Calpurnia realizes that if she does not clean up the Block Mess Monster, she will be facing an even scarier monster: her mother. Together, Calpurnia and her mother come up with a solution that will make everyone happy. The illustrations in The Block Mess Monster are whimsical and seem to perfectly complement the subject matter. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews