book cover

Don't Call Me Sweet!

by Smriti Halls, illustrated by Angie Rozelaar

Interest age: 3 to 5

Published by Bloomsbury, 2014

  • Funny
  • Picture books

About this book

Little Monster revels in his sharp claws, spiky teeth and terrifying roar; he's often slimy and stinky and loves bug-eye stew. Don't ever pat him on the head. And don't ever, EVER, call him 'sweet'. Little Monster's mission is to terrify everyone he meets.

Or at least it is until he meets someone more monstrous than himself. Massive and mean, Ogre sweeps Little Monster up for a stinky teatime treat. Terrified, Little Monster denies everything. Stinky? Scary? Not him; he's the nicest monster you could meet. In fact, he's rather sweet....

The rhyming text bowls the story along, accompanied by illustrations veering between dark chaos and demure pastels to express visually Little Monster's inner contradictions. Great fun for small monsters wishing they were bigger!

About the author

Smriti Halls is an award-winning, critically acclaimed children's author, published in more than 30 languages worldwide. Her books include #1 bestseller I Love You Night and Day, I'm Sticking with You, Elephant in My Kitchen and The Little Island.

With a cast of characters as varied as mischievous monsters and disgruntled geese, she explores relationship and identity; the personal and the political; how it feels to be in your own skin - and in someone else's. Her books, often fast-paced and funny or lyrical and tender, are always full of heart and hope and speak to the child in all of us.

Smriti also creates bold board books to engage the very smallest readers, young fiction for newly independent readers and beautiful, highly illustrated non-fiction for older readers including the award-winning The Ways of the Wolf.

The Little Island is currently shortlisted for the 2020 Little Rebels Award and the 2020 Teach Primary Awards, while I'm Sticking With You was the Independent Bookshops Children's Book of the Month for August 2020. Her forthcoming picture book Rain Before Rainbows (illustrated by David Litchfield) has been made available ahead of publication in partnership with Save the Children as a free e-book to support their work with families most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Smriti works widely with children and adults in schools, libraries, festivals, bookshops and prisons to bring a love of reading and stories to the widest possible audience. She lives in London and is also published as Smriti Prasadam-Halls.

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