Review of Monster’s Mustard

[Rashad Deniro Price]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Monster's Mustard" by Jason Grove.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Monster happens to live near a bumbleberry field, and as it is, the mustard he makes from the berries is so much sought after. Up the hill from his residence lives a neighbor named Ram. Now, both Monster and Ram live alone, but while Monster is always cheerful, Ram is always unhappy. One day, Monster visits Ram bearing a gift, and soon after this encounter, the two become close and begin to negotiate a business partnership.

But their newfound friendship and partnership is not as lovely nor promising as it appears, as selfishness and an opportunistic mindset will soon take a better part of one of them, leading to a monumental betrayal. And when this happens, can there ever be any possibilities of forgiveness, remorse, or reconciliation?

Monster's Mustard by Jason Grove takes an uncommon approach to teach children the beauty in sincerity of purpose, the value of true friendship, the shame and emptiness in betrayal, and the pricelessness of forgiveness and reconciliation. By an uncommon approach, I mean the way Jason flipped the two characters, Monster and Ram, to exhibit attitudes different from general opinions about them and picking up from there to draw out important lessons that will impact children in a great way.

Monster and Ram represent different things in this story, and the disparity in their values and aspirations is obvious right from the beginning of the story—where we meet Monster, who though lives alone, enjoys some closure, is cheerful, and is doing well for himself, and then Ram, who lives alone, feels miserable and makes unsubstantiated claims (as is seen in the case of Monster's mustard).

What impacted me the most were the lessons on having a good heart and pure intentions. Betrayals, loss, and disappointment may come, but nature has a way of comforting and rewarding people with noble characters. Besides, traitors always pay huge prices for their actions, irrespective of the immediate or temporary gains they may be enjoying. I liked the way the story ended and appreciated the values it demonstrated. Furthermore, the book was well-illustrated and free of grammatical and typographical errors. I have absolutely no complaint to report.

Monster’s Mustard by Jason Grove earns 5 out of 5 stars for its fluid narrative and impactful lessons. I recommend it to every child.

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Monster's Mustard
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[Yasmine Zaki Muhieddine]

Monster's Mustard is a thought provoking story for young children. The story is delightful and there is a lesson about friendship and the consequence of betrayal.

[Amarachi Stephanie Ejike]

Wow! I think I love the plot!
'Monster's Mustard' by Jason Grove is an exciting children's book that teaches and underscores lessons on having a good heart and pure intentions. It's also saddening that the beautiful friendship offered to Ram by Monster was tinted betrayal. This book is a goldmine for our kids as it teaches them a lot about the beauty in sincerity of purpose, the value of true friendship, the shame and emptiness in betrayal, and the priceless gift of forgiveness and reconciliation.