There’s no such thing as Humans by Helen Vivienne Fletcher (HVF Publishing)
- Reviewed by librarian Dave Tucker.
Originally published on The Sapling July 8 2021
What lurks beyond the edge of the forest? Since the beginning of time, the unusual, the unknown and the unexplained has interested and intrigued all of us. Should we be curious, cautious, or plain scared of what we are unsure of?
Therein lies the conundrum of a persistent little monster called Grub.
Cautionary family myths and fun fairy tales often serve as harmless boundary-setters for the more adventurous members of our clan, and Grub’s well-meaning mum has carefully constructed certain unproven secrets to keep her mischievous offspring close to home.
This parental plan seems to have kept Grub at bay, until now.
Grub steps out with his partner-in-grime Puddles, and they egg each other on, eager to end their life’s obsession with that unknown being named ‘human’.
Do our meagre monsters dare to tread where no monster has stomped before?
You bet they do.
“There’s no such thing as humans, there’s no such thing as humans.” These are the words repeated to all young monsters, so this must be true, right? This is where our adventure begins, beyond the edge of the forest, where each intrepid foot-stomp takes Grub and Puddles further into the world of being near humans and far from the safety of their lovely lair.
I loved this original and quirky early reader. The inviting cartoon-like illustrations and snappy chapters are easy to devour and promote a ‘just scary enough’ story bite between bath and bedtime.
With lots of comic-like pictures to cradle its generous font, the author understands the careful balance between a slow-release plot with an out of this world imagination. This adventure will be perfect for your next shared wrapped up winter story time.