Frank the Monster
Mats Strandberg, illustrated by Sofia Falkenhem
Gecko Press

Friendless, bookish and very lonely, Frank Steen, the story’s narrator is bitten by neighbour Alice’s supposed guard dog, on his ninth birthday when offering Woof, a share of his birthday cake. What Frank doesn’t know at that moment is that henceforward, his whole life will change.

A week later, after dreaming of being a shaggy creature, running through the forest, Frank awakes to discover he has muddy feet that have left footprints in his room. But this is no dream. Upset that he’s troubling people, Frank visits the library to find out more about the supernatural, monsters especially. One he discovers, was called a werewolf and that the mixing of one’s own human blood with that of a werewolf could cause you to turn into one. From then on Frank deems himself a werewolf, albeit one that prefers tummy rubs to tearing people apart. Despite this, he scares his little brother, Oliver and then later a group of hunters sitting round a forest campfire. This encounter turns out to be more scary for Frank than the hunters.

Eventually, after a visit to his parents from the police, Frank goes to visit Alice again and they end up having a discussion about the monster that’s been frightening the locals. Locals that he frightens yet again when he visits the lakeside beach where they are partying. Will this scaring and being scared ever end? Possibly with the help of ghost Magnolia and Paola, the woman from the library, things might change …

This tale of a boy and his lycanthropy quickly draws the reader in as it gives details of young Franks increasing alienation, frustration and sometimes, anger. Occasional, slightly spooky striking black, blue and white illustrations by Sofia Falkenhem break up the text making it accessible for readers around Frank’s age.

This book, showing that it’s fine to be different, is the first of a series.