Every year my daughter and I discuss what’s going to make it on to her Christmas list. As she’s been getting older (she’s 6), she’s slowly found her way into playing with dolls, as most kids do. Thankfully, we live in a world where Barbie isn’t the standard anymore. For us pop culture lovin’, horror fans can at least enjoy our girls playing with Monster High.
While not outright horrific by any stretch of the imagination, the characters from Monster High originate from the beloved Universal Monsters of yesteryear (and I suppose the future, since the studio is working on bringing those creatures back to life). There’s Draculaura, Frankie Stein, Lorna McNessie, to name just a few – and if you can’t figure out the inspirations, you’re definitely reading the wrong article.
So how can my girl keep track of it all – well, with the Monster High Character Encyclopedia from DK. The publishers, the purveyors of countless pop culture hardcover books running the gamut from DC to Marvel to Star Wars to WWE, have put their talents together to compile an exhaustive and informative look at all the various Monster High characters and their incarnations. Lavishly illustrated and detailed, I can’t imagine fans finding a better guide to the world.
The book also references the various movies that the characters have been featured in, along with breaking down the various outfits each was wearing. It’s clever and concise and frightening for parents, who might worry that their kids might want every iteration of their favourites.
That’s just not happening in this house.
However, there’s fun in watching my girl comb through the pages, pointing out various highlights from her favourite characters. So for those hoping to introduce their kids to the scary side of pop culture without, you know, actually scaring them, Monster High is the way to go, and the Monster High Character Encyclopedia is an ideal tour guide.
