Adorable. The art is super cute and the story is a lot of fun. It is nice to see more diverse picture books. I will recommend this to other teachers.

4 stars

A child tries to solve the mystery of who is taking the mangoes from their house's mango tree. They creatively figure out different ways to try to track the thief and find that many animals are moving around the yard and hanging out in their tree. The story ends with the children finding out it was their father sharing the bounty of the trees mangoes with the surrounding community. This books highlights themes of creative problem solving and sharing with our community.

Two cousins who set up traps to try to figure out who is stealing the mangoes from their mango tree. Is it a squirrel? A monkey? A monster?? A cute story not only about trapping a "monster", but also about showing kindness and being grateful for what we are given.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I loved the creative way the girls tried to catch their mango thief - and also how they learned about sharing what they have without the message ever being didactic. The exact setting isn't ever stated, but Meneka Repka, the illustrator is Sri-Lankan Canadian so perhaps the illustrations are reflective of Sri Lanka. Wherever the exact setting is, I can see picture book readers loving this.

The Mango Monster is a great picture book mystery to read aloud to kids. The book is layered, with the mystery plot, an underlying theme of sharing and caring for others, and culturally inclusive details that will allow kids to see themselves in the story. The illustration style supports the plot and the culturally specific details very well. The mystery is solved in a satisfying way. This would be a good read aloud for classrooms during Asian Heritage Month, during a reading lesson about making predictions, or as part of an SEL unit, particularly if it involved collecting food donations.

It is finally mango season, and Marianne can’t wait to eat all of them. But when she discovers that the lower branches have been picked clean, she begins to wonder if a monster could be stealing her mangos. With her sidekick Zoe, Marianne sets traps to catch the thief in action. This cozy children’s mystery is a delightful introduction to deduction and problem-solving skills for budding detectives and finishes up with a sweet message about sharing and community.

Marianne and her cousin Zoe are excited for mango season but when it arrives they notice all the lower branches have been picked. Can they solve the mystery of the mango monster?

This story involves young people engaging in problem solving activities and learning a valuable lesson about sharing.

Very cute, this sweet story includes delightful illustrations and a moral we all could learn from.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. After waiting a year for fresh mango, it's just about time to pick them, but then they disappear. Can the kids figure out who is taking the mangoes?

Meneka Repka does a great job illustrating this adorable short book about two little girls who are convinced that a "mango monster" was eating the mangoes off of their tree. The pictures clearly show what is happening in the story and this becomes important as the girls search for the "purple monster" throughout the story. They set up several traps and you'll never guess who the mango monster is! I will let you read it and find out for yourselves!

Through it all, the girls learn the importance of giving to others and they set up a donation stand for their neighbors to pick up mangoes, as the mango tree "gives and gives". Derek Mascarenhas has created a delightful book with a simple message - we need to think outside of ourselves and help take care of those around us. I love this message for the children in my classroom and believe this book would be a great addition to any home library or elementary classroom library.

Thank you to Owlkids Books and Netgalley for giving me access to The Mango Monster Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
Humor and fun and family - a winning combination. Marianne has been waiting for the mangos to ripen so they can enjoy them. To her surprise, the ones on the lower branches are gone. When a neighbor tells her about the Mango Monster, she and her cousin decide to set a trap to capture them. Readers see them try a variety of ways without success. When they do finally capture the monster, they are stunned to see who it was. I appreciate the way Mascarenhas weaves care for community through the story. Love the detailed illustrations that support the text.

This book was so adorable and such a wonderful way to explore themes of kindness and generosity. Throughout the book, two little girls are trying to figure out who is stealing the lower mangoes off of their tree. I love that there was a process in their problem solving, where they tried something and adapted it based on their results - this could be used as a model to help children learn to problem solve. An excellent book for a family or

The Mango Monster was so cute! It followed cousins Marianne and Zoe as they try to catch the monster eating the mangoes from their backyard tree. It was fun and sweet, and I think there are multiple lessons and discussions that could be made from this book: problem solving, predicting, discussions about giving to others. What a fun read! I would love to get this one for my classroom.

Thanks to Owl Kids Books and Net Galley for a copy. A sweet story about two girls who want to catch the monster that's eating their delicious mangoes at night. It's a fun story and I enjoyed the ideas on how to catch the monster. It would have been nice to have a little more resolution, such as seeing the people the mangoes went to. The illustrations were dynamic and engaging. Overall, an engaging book worth the read.

Beautifully illustrated story with incidental diversity which I highly appreciate. With just the right amount of child imagination embedded into a totally relatable family story of a mango tree. Loved the twist at the end ;)

A huge thank you to the publisher #OwlKidsBooks and #NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of The Mango Monster.
This story was absolutely adorable. The illustrations were fun and engaging, perfect for any young reader. I love that this story was written as a who done it mystery. I loved that the girls learned and an important lesson that we should be grateful for what we have. The only thing I wished was a little different was the ending. It ended a little too abrupt and I just would love to have seen a little more. It left me on the edge wondering what happened next, but overall this story was adorable.

This book was fun to read. Definitely a great book to discuss communities. The beautiful illustrations and fun ways the author brought in animals, language, and cultural clothing created a great opening for discussion with my kiddo. I would have given 5 ⭐️ had the book not ended so abruptly. I definitely wanted more!

Highly recommend for classrooms!

For the most part I really liked this book! The illustrations were so, so detailed and I loved the technique the illustrator used for coloring. All of the illustrations were unique and they really demonstrated how talented the illustrator is.
Now for the story. I really liked the entire plot up to the end. The beginning and middle were clear and interesting. However, at the end, with the ultimate resolution, I felt a bit disappointed. I was confused as to why the two main characters made a "Donate" sign when nobody is donating to them, they are donating to others. That confused me a lot but I think without the "Donate" sign a lot of confusion would go away. I was disappointed by the ending because it wasn't surprising. I think there was too much context given that hinted at the ending, and it took away the surprise of the girls' brilliant plan.
Overall, I found this book to be unique, it could have just been a little more surprising or engaging.

I loved the beautiful illustrations in this book along with the storyline. This book involves giving back, sustainability, and problem solving, all very important concepts for growing children.

As a retired kindergarten and preschool teache, I love children's books and have read more than I can count, so I know what I like and what catches my eye - and what will appeal to kids AND the adults who will be reading said books - possible over and over again. I really loved this story about a "monster" who is stealing mangos from the children's mango tree. It's a mystery and the children come up with all sorts of traps to catch the thief. The other parts of a good children's story that I look for are great illustrations and the pictures in this book are bright and beautiful! Its a bonus for me if there are different cultures, and this book has that as well. I loved it!

Thank you to the authors and illustrators of this book for the opportunity to read and review this book. I found The Mango Monster to be so cute and delightful. Marianne and Zoe are loveable and the book is easy to follow. My daughter loved it and it will definitely be a night time favorite in our house.