Monsters in the Fog

"It's hard to knit a sweater with your hooves," writes Bahrampour (A Pig in the Palace) in the irresistible opening to this parable about curiosity versus fear, "but Hakim somehow did it." Now the orange donkey is headed up the mountain to give it to his friend Daisy, who lives at the tippy-top. But the narrow, twisting road is shrouded in fog, and an old goat soon warns Hakim that monsters are afoot. Hakim spots a strange beast with a square head and glaring eyes, but it's just a dog struggling to carry building materials, a load that Hakim offers to carry in his saddlebags as they continue their journey. More travelers join in the same manner: the pen, ink, and watercolor drawings portray something ghoulish in the fog, which then turns out to be nothing more than, say, a pig carrying umbrellas. Bahrampour has one more surprise for readers before the fog burns away, but the book's meaning is unmistakable, and even urgent: snap judgments and trepidation are no way to move forward in the world. "Everything looks like a monster in the fog," Hakim says. "But the closer you get, the less scary it becomes." Ages 4-8. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary. (June)

Hakim the donkey sets out on a journey up a mountain to deliver a hoof-knit sweater he has made for his friend Daisy. As Hakim begins his ascent and realizes that it is especially foggy, he encounters a goat who issues a dire warning about monsters on the mountain. Hakim remains undeterred, continuing his slow way up. As he climbs, he meets other animals whom he mistakes for monsters at first, but who turn out to be other scared travelers. Banding together with a dog, a pig, and even a tricycle-riding bear, Hakim gets to the summit, only to be confused for a monster by his friend Daisy, who also may not be what readers expect. Reminiscent of William Steig's style, Bahrampour's pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations are funny and expressive, wonderfully capturing the suspense of the journey, alarm at every encounter, and relief with a surprise twist at the end. The cartoonish humor of the drawings provides a perfect counterpart to the calm, concise language of the tale's spare sentences, much as Hakim's steady resolve provides counterpoint to the jitters of his companions. VERDICT With a subtle moral—everything is a monster in the fog—that is rendered playfully but is still thought-provoking, this is a delightful and recommended addition to most collections.—Yelena Voysey