We love this funny tale of a blue monster who is consumed with so much greed that he even eats the sun. The greed starts in small ways, just wanting a bit more than he is given. It soon balloons as he decides to seek out a new improved version of everything he owns, from toys to cars to families.

Young children who’ve learned to get a bit of a handle on greedy impulses will be entertained by Blue Monster’s outrageous behaviour – and it really is outrageous, as the story escalates in hilariously preposterous ways. They will also feel satisfied with the safe and reassuring resolution, which shows that appreciating the ‘money can’t buy’  things in our lives like family and friends is more fulfilling than material gain.

The illustrations make this fun story really excellent, with paint and crayon pictures that create an instantly relatable appeal and express both the monster’s immaturity and the bright humour of the story. There are loads of fantastic and unusual details to spot and every page feels colourful and exuberant with fun twists, like monster-shaped buildings and funky animals – except for the one dark page when monster’s greed has reached a climax and he has swallowed the sun, sitting in the darkness with a single tear on his cheek. After a little soul searching, a happy and brightly coloured ending is restored.

This is a real winner of a story for Reception children.