Marvin Monster’s Big Date 
By Tabatha Jean D’Agata
Illustrator Bonnie Everett Hawkes

     What J.K. Rowling did for wizards and witches, Tabatha Jean D’Agata does for werewolves, goblins, banshees, zombies, and google-eyed creatures that look like they were inspired by the wonderful movie “Monsters Inc.” Just as Pixar did in its tale of Monstropolis and creatures Mike and Sulley, D’Agata explores the problems of monsters. Her hero, Marvin Monster, attends second grade at Grim Castle Elementary, lives in Marshville, Transylvania, and celebrates his birthday on Friday, September 13—an honor and a big deal for monsters.

     Kids are fascinated by monsters, and they’ll identify with Marvin’s trials during one day of school, a rather important day. Marvin has his first official date—a walk to school with Reba Banshee, “a new, raging cool monster” with a Barbie-doll figure and long flowing hair. Though the Romeo in this case has fangs and styles his hair with Slug Slime, he still has eyes for the most attractive girl in his class, and he ditches his friends the Werewolf twins and Gretchen Goblin. Unfortunately, it seems Reba has eyes for Bobby Zombie, who reminds one of the vampire Spike in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”. This bizarre love triangle dominates Marvin’s day as he embarrasses himself in howling class, endures a lunchtime fiasco (don’t you hate it when Mom doesn’t roast your beetles properly?), and gets a toad-wart on his palm from breaking his promise to Gretchen Goblin and the Werewolf twins. In the story, naturally the conflict comes from the plump, pigtailed (and fanged) Gretchen Goblin, who seems more upset about the incident than the Werewolf twins, who we never see. It’s your basic boy-meets-girl, boy-ditches-friend, boy-loses-girl, boy…well, we won’t give away the ending. Suffice it to say that Marvin learns a lesson about true friendship. The warmth reminds one of “The Addams Family” and “The Munsters”.

      The details of Marvin’s monster life—snailwiches, crabapple trees, howling class, and a teacher named Mr. Stein who, despite bolts in his neck, looks like your typical second grade science teacher—delight and enchant readers. I can’t fail to mention the terrific pencil-drawn illustrations by Bonnie Everett Hawkes.