This
picture book for young readers introduces a devilish little
two-horned creature named Mixter Twizzle, who lives beneath
a chicken coop on Riverdale Farm. He doesn’t take up
residence there and dance to the clucks of chickens because
he enjoys the company of barnyard animals. This red-colored
demon known as Mixter quivers at the first sign of hens laying
eggs because he leaps up through a hole in the barn coop and
eats the eggs for his breakfast.
With
his strange speaking style, Mixter exclaims as he leaps: “The
eggsies is coming from under the feathered beasts! My breakfast
is ready, by fork and by spork! My breakfast arrives, let
the minutes come faster! Be hesty! Be hasty!” He then
swipes eggs from under their fluffy tails while the hens peck
at birdfeed. As the horrified hens watch this monster steal
their babies, Mixter taunts them further by juggling their
eggs before tossing them down his throat and carrying the
remaining eggs to his dark home beneath the coop.
After
gorging on stolen eggs one day, Mixter realizes how lonely
he is without friends. He jumps through the hole and attempts
to reach out to the hens, who naturally want nothing to do
with the monstrous little egg stealer. So Mixter snatches
a lone egg and takes it back to his room where he saves it
for later by sitting on it like a mother hen would do. Suddenly
the egg hatches, and he shrieks and runs away from the tiny
baby that emerges from the shell. To his dismay, the baby
follows him everywhere and is desperate to show love to what
it thinks is its mother. “You are my Mommy!” the
ball of fluff cries before embracing him. That moment of friendship
changes something inside of Mixter, who decides it’s
more important to have friends than to cause harm to others.
The text
is enhanced by colorful illustrations on each page that depict
Mixter and the barnyard animals. Mixter’s behavior and
appearance are frightening enough to show he’s a monster,
but his cute name and quirky stylized speech add a fun element
that makes him safe for children. The story teaches a lesson
about the loneliness that comes with bullying behavior, and
vegans can find another lesson in the book, as well.
Parents
and teachers will enjoy the morals in the book, in addition
to the clever wordplay. Children will love the artwork and
tongue-twisting adventures of this little monster who needs
to be taught right from wrong.
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