Atticus and Us Making a Monster is a board book and primarily a counting book, but it is so much more. It teaches numbers, patterns, body parts, directions, and colors all in a fun little story with gorgeous illustrations. Atticus is an ambitious child making his masterpiece. SPOILER ALERT: Much to his horror, Atticus’s dad discovers the boy perched atop a stack of paint cans in front of a monster painted directly on the wall. The illustration is bright, beautiful and clear but also open to multiple interpretations. Is the father scared for his son’s safety? Is he dismayed at the damage done to the wall? Atticus appears to believe that his father is scared of the monster. In a charming bit of role reversal, Atticus demonstrates empathy comforting his father and asks his mother for help assuaging his father’s fear. In the end Atticus takes responsibility and cleans the wall but only after the requisite photo.