Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature)
What to do if your little one seems spooked by all the scary masks and Halloween hoopla? What to do if they worry about monsters? Along with parents' explanations and reassurances, this book can help preschoolers feel more control over fearful fantasies. As youngsters turn the pages of this bright, die-cut book, they can build a monster piece by piece, from yellow eyes to scraggly purple hair, and then command it, page by page, to "go away" until it disappears. 1992, Little Brown, $14.95. Ages 3 to 6.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1993)
By turning these stiff, die-cut pages, even very young children can assemble a green monster with "two big yellow eyes...a long blue nose...[and] a big red mouth with sharp white teeth..." and then make it go away again, feature by feature. Emberley, a Caldecott medalist whose delightful drawing books demonstrate a combination of rudimentary forms to create a world of images, uses simple shapes in bright colors to build a scowling, cartoonish face that seems to float against the solid black field--scary, but deliciously so. A satisfying game that may also allay some nighttime fears. 1993, Little Brown, $12.45. © 1993 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Roger Sutton (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March 1993 (Vol. 46, No. 7))
It's a bit like a do-it-yourself Wild Thing, with kids getting to perform Max's taming trick. This monster has "two big yellow eyes, a long blue nose, a big red mouth with sharp white teeth," and each turn of the page, through the use of die-cut overlays, reveals yet another scary feature, including squiggly ears, scraggly purple hair and a "big scary green face!" As with Sendak's Wild Things, it's impossible to know whether a particular child is going to be scared silly or highly amused by this monster; in either case, the second half of the book is devoted to a ritual banishment ("GO AWAY, big red mouth!") that removes each feature page by page: "and DON'T COME BACK! Until I say so." The shapes and features are bold and simple, with intense colors that provide some eye-popping contrasts. Braver children might even appreciate the book at bedtime, and after just a couple of readings by you, they will have the incantation memorized and will be able to make the monster come and go anytime they want to. R*--Highly recommended as a book of special distinction. (c) Copyright 1993, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1993, Little, 32p, $12.95. Ages 2-5 yrs.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, 1993)
In the first half of this fear-dispelling book, graphically distinctive die-cut pages reveal, bit by bit, a monster with 'sharp white teeth' and 'scraggly purple hair.' The process is then reversed as the text commands each scary feature to 'go away,' until there is nothing left but a black page instructing 'Don't Come Back! Until I say so.' Entertaining and empowering for young children. Category: Fiction. 1993, Little, 32pp.. Ages 2 to 5. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.