Though all the drawings are simple and fun, they still reveal much about the personality of the people surrounding Ellie and her feelings about them as well. I particularly enjoyed the evolving look of Er-Ick, monster boy cousin. Because the book is a mix of text and drawings, it’s a blinding fast read - perfect for kids who struggle with longer, denser text but don’t want to settle for a "baby book." I found the story so delightful, I had to ask the author if we would be seeing more of Ellie McDoodle - and we will! I know I won’t be the only one looking forward to that sequel.