Bertrand Santini

The Yark is a creature that eats good little children because they are the best for his digestion. Until he meets a little girl that’s just too sweet to eat. The story is fun — although I’m not sure my niece (who is six) is ready to read it yet, since the beginning chapters (which talk about the monster eating children’s toes, fingers, hearts, etc.) might be a little too scary for her just yet. I don’t want to be one of those adults to assume something is too scary for kids when the kids think it’s fine, since it really depends on the kid. But I know my niece and although she likes creepy stuff (Coraline, The Corpse Bride, etc.), there are some things that cross that line into scaring her (The Witches). So, I’m going to hold off on this one for a little bit. However, some other six year old might totally love this book and not be bothered by it at all.… (more)

This is a monsterly and yet, charming tale which lets the reader meet a monster they'll never forget.

The Yark is a monster who eats children, and not just any children. The Yark eats nice, sweet and very good children. This Yark is especially concentrated on very well-behaved children, since his stomach is extremely sensitive when it comes to even a dash of bad. Unfortunately, good children are becoming harder to find as time passes, and this Yark has grown very hungry through the decades. Finally, he has an idea—to steal Santa's nice and naught list. With an exact map to all nice children in the world, the approaching doom seems sealed. But things don't always run smoothly, especially for the Yark.

The book starts gritty with a monster who chews soft bones and sucks eyeballs. The Yark loves to gnaw on children, and this fact is not subtle or smooth in any way. More sensitive readers might find this a bit much, but it's a wonderful start to the tale. The Yark isn't nice and yet, he's somehow endearing. The walk along this fence-line is what captures the reader. As the Yark searches for nice children, it's almost easy to feel sorry for him. But only almost. The author keeps the reminder of the Yarks food requirements front and center the entire way through. And there are plenty of children who get devoured in these pages.

The story reads much like a traditional folklore. The sweet part and change doesn't happen until close to the end, and even then, it's a questionable change for the most part. It's this not bad/not good which leaves kids food for thought and makes the Yark hard to forget.

The illustrations are wonderful. The Yark, just like his food requirements, is monsterly yet has a dash of something sweet. There are enough pictures to add a lovely touch to the story and keep even reluctant readers engrossed in the pages.

This is definitely an intriguing read with a monster who will win the reader's heart yet still hold a place of carefullness. I can only recommend it.… (more)

The Yark fits neatly into the tradition of stories where a monstrous character is shown not to be so monstrous after all, especially when confronted with the transformative power of love. What sets it apart from other stories of the same type is the language.

The language is evocative. It is descriptive. It is, upon occasion, brutal. It is crude and funny and engaging and vivid. Parents may want to read this book themselves before giving it to their child, especially if the child is sensitive to frank descriptions of children being eaten. (Think eyeballs squishing, bones crunching, that kind of thing.) On the other hand, a child mature enough to understand the nature of satire may find the descriptions hilarious. One particular scene, featuring a good deal of bathroom humor, seems primed to appeal to the middle school-aged boy in all of us.

I cannot recommend the book to everyone, but I think it has the potential to be a favorite for a specific subsection of children.… (more)