Cuddly Cthulhu

C is for Cthulhu: The Lovecraft Alphabet Book

By Jason Ciaramella (illustrations by Greg Murphy)

Publisher: ComixTribe

Pub. Date: 2015

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

We must prepare for the rising of unspeakable horror upon our planet. No, I am not talking about David Icke's Reptilians or ISIS or even The Donald.

I am speaking about the Old Ones.

H. P Lovecraft warned us about them and the insanity and destruction that will follow. It is inevitable. However, we can prepare for it. And most importantly, we can prepare our children in realizing that which cannot be named or described, and likely to drive you insane as an adult, can still be seen as friendly and cuddly.

Cuddly Cthulhu.

Jason Ciaramella has paved the way with this cute book titled C is for Cthulhu. This is an alphabet board book designed to please your little darling and help them become the harbingers of evil and destruction that the ancient ones will appreciate.  How can one be scared of a sleeping red Chthulu or Q'yth-az ("Don't worry, she doesn't bite") or Soggoth ("Chomp chomp chomp...BURP!").
 

 It is also a very nice travel book.

 We adults can also learn from it and will get as much of a kick as our children from the illustrations by Greg Murphy. Very colorful and cute in a "Awww. Monster!" way yet it still manages to depict a eerie Lovecraftian aura over the most positive childhood environment.

So the next time your child asks, "Mommy? What is that thing lumbering slobberingly into sight and gropingly squeezing Its gelatinous green immensity through the black doorway into the tainted outside air of that poison city of madness?". You can just hand him this book and let him learn in the confines of his dungeo...er...bedroom about all the terrible and unspeakable horrors that will creep in and cuddle him to sleep. Perhaps H. P Lovecraft was right when he said, "“It is a mistake to fancy that horror is associated inextricably with darkness, silence, and solitude.” Sometimes it comes in pretty colors and darling little monster drawings.

40th anniversary of a children's classic

Where The Sidewalk Ends: Poem and Drawings

By Shel Silverstein

 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Look O Look!
I see a book!
A book that gleams
A book that screams
Delightful things
By Shel Silverstein
Poems and drawings
That are not boring
They speak to me
Like a tapestry
Of childhood joys
For girls and boys
Not just for kids
Adults will dig
The funny rhymes
of forgotten times
When they were young
And life was fun
So turn the page
Forget your age
When the book ends
You can start again
And follow the bend
Where the sidewalk ends

Cats can read too!

This review is from Maslow the Wonder Cat.

Sleepy Kitten (Despicable Me)

By Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, and Eric Guillon

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Hello, mere mortal humans. This is the feline version of Despicable Me addressing you.

Marvin brought home this book one day. He said I might like it . First thing I noticed was that it had really thick pages. I figured Marvin thought I might not be able to chew up the cardboard pages so easily. Fine. I love a challenge. But then I saw the title, Sleepy Kittens. So I set aside demolition mode and read it. It was a really cute story about three kittens who didn't want to go to bed. Their mother brushes their fur, gives them a bowl of milk, and sings them a lullaby. Eventually the kittens go to sleep. The end.

Not exactly War and Peace, is it?

But it is a fun book with cute drawings. The really cool thing is that it comes with three finger puppets representing the three sleepy kittens. Plus there are three holes in the sturdy pages so your little br...er...child...can play out the plot. For instance when Mama gives them a bowl of milk they can pretend to drink the milk. It is probably the only time kids can play with their fingers in the milk and not get yelled at. I tried to place my paws in the puppets but my claws kept getting stuck. Now the three finger puppet kitties look like they got their chests ripped open.

However, despite my four stars for it being a really cute book, I feel I must warn parents about a potential problem. I am worried that, as the kids play with this book, they will get the idea that it is OK to put their fingers up Kitty's butt. This is not OK. This could result in a dangerous and potentially fatal situation, more so for the kid than the cat. I repeat. Sticking fingers up a cat's butt is not OK. But diligent monitoring by the caretaker should alleviate any disaster.

I wish to thank Manny Rayner for recommending this book to me. I guess you don't hate cats after all.