Eric the hero

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Eric is a little boy who sometimes gets things wrong. But Eric learns that while you can't be good at everything, sometimes it takes a little time to find out what you are good at. And when a huge monster stomps down the mountain to Eric's village, Eric just might have his chance to shine...

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 2-Wormell puts a clever twist on the familiar fairy-tale story of a scary monster menacing a small village. Little Eric has something in common with the creature that is terrorizing the people: both are woefully misunderstood. The boy is not good at anything and is routinely verbally abused by his parents, teachers, and peers. They call him such names as "Nitwit!," "Dummy!," and "Dunce." This may seem a bit severe to more sensitive readers, but it is a key part of the buildup to the story's climax. The emotions of the child and the monster are clearly shown in the subtle colored pencil and ink illustrations. As it happens, the monster isn't so scary when the youngster confronts him; in fact, it is just searching for a friend. Although the message of the underdog-turned-hero theme is nothing new, Eric! is a sweet addition to the genre. Abundant speech bubbles and dialogue, paired with large-scale illustrations, make this a good candidate for group storytime.-Nora Clancy, Teachers College Community School, New York City (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Young Eric just isn't appreciated by the people of his medieval village. In response to his minor (if constant) foibles, they call him twit and dummy and dope. It all gets to be a bit much, and one day Eric wanders away from town. That is when the screaming starts: RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! A HUGE MONSTER HAS COME DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINS! Dozens of villagers stream past, shouting that it would take a twit to think he could fight that monster indeed, a dummy and a dope. Hearing this, Eric perks up, for he possesses just those qualities! Wormell's story, with its omniscient narrator, cruel villagers, and clever turnaround by the apparent fool, has the feel of a classic folktale. When Eric stands up bravely to the towering, hairy beast illustrated so that you have to turn the book on its end to appreciate the vertical arrangement he is rewarded by an admission that the monster, too, feels like a twit. A strong addition to the you-can-be-a-hero-too canon.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist