The Shy Creatures

What does a shy girl want to be when she grows up? A doctor, but not just any doctor — this little girl wants to care for creatures who may seem intimidating, but are really very shy, just she she is.

David Mack's extraordinary picture book debut is perfect to read aloud with creatures little and big, shy and outgoing, who believe in the magic of imaginaton.

"Fierce mythical beasts find a helpmate in this visually striking but ultimately saccharine children's debut by a prominent comics artist. When a teacher asks her pupils about their goals, a pigtailed girl peeks from behind a stack of books. 'I want to be a doctor to the shy creatures, ' said the shy girl. Or she would have, if she wasn't so shy. If she would only talk, the girl would describe how she imagines bandaging Bigfoot's stubbed toe, repairing a unicorn's broken horn (so he wouldn't be forlorn) or treating a phoenix for heat rash. Mack, in a radical departure from his Kabuki graphic novels, salutes Dr. Seuss (by way of creep-meister Charles Burns) in his art and layouts. When the introvert balances on a tower of drinking glasses and introduces her very shy fish, / who lives in a very high dish, Yertle the Turtle and The Cat in the Hat are points of reference. Yet the Seussian grace is missing. Mack's mostly polished ink line drawings, tinted with opaque colors against a white ground, occasionally look clumsy, and the girl imagines her unspoken wishes being greeted by mechanical scorn: 'Ha ha ha!' the class would laugh. Mack pairs a gentle soul with misunderstood monsters, but his cloying whimsy and flatfooted rhymes suggest that he has yet to find the right voice. All ages." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Fierce mythical beasts find a helpmate in this visually striking but ultimately saccharine children's debut by a prominent comics artist. When a teacher asks her pupils about their goals, a pigtailed girl peeks from behind a stack of books. ' 'I want to be a doctor to the shy creatures,' said the shy girl. Or she would have, if she wasn't so shy.' If she would only talk, the girl would describe how she imagines bandaging Bigfoot's stubbed toe, repairing a unicorn's broken horn ('so he wouldn't be forlorn') or treating a phoenix for heat rash. Mack, in a radical departure from his Kabuki graphic novels, salutes Dr. Seuss (by way of creep-meister Charles Burns) in his art and layouts. When the introvert balances on a tower of drinking glasses and introduces her 'very shy fish,/ who lives in a very high dish,' Yertle the Turtle and The Cat in the Hat are points of reference. Yet the Seussian grace is missing. Mack's mostly polished ink line drawings, tinted with opaque colors against a white ground, occasionally look clumsy, and the girl imagines her unspoken wishes being greeted by mechanical scorn: ' 'Ha ha ha!' the class would laugh.' Mack pairs a gentle soul with misunderstood monsters, but his cloying whimsy and flatfooted rhymes suggest that he has yet to find the right voice. All ages. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"In his debut childrens book, comics artist Mack has huge fun with legendary monsters, celebrating the grotesque in a rhyming text and glossy, colorful double-page-spread pictures that may call up some of Dr. Seuss' work, but still have a winning, solid charm of their own." Booklist

"Children will likely respond enthusiastically to the flight-of-fancy theme, appealing rhyme, and whimsical art in this promising picture-book debut by the well-known graphic novelist." School Library Journal

This extraordinary debut picture book addresses an issue not often covered in picture books: shyness. In this story, a variety of mythical creatures — including a cyclops, a dragon, and Bigfoot — may seem fierce, but are quite shy, as one little girl discovers. Full color.

David Mack, well-known for his moody, complex comic Kabuki, brings his unique illustrations to Daredevil. He has built a strong readership, particularly among women.