Cy the Cyclops is adept at building but shy about making friends. He prepares to meet people by practicing conversation, trying out different facial expressions, building a chariot which he and his anticipated new friend could share, and mustering the courage to go to town—where, happily, he finds a phoenix. The phoenix makes her own contribution to Cy’s chariot, and their friendship literally takes flight. Like his mythological counterparts, Cy has one eye and a talent for constructing things (readers may spot a trident and lightning bolts in Cy’s workshop), but overall Cy is more Muppet than monster, and the other mythological creatures included in the story are also rendered benign. In Stephens and Subisak’s picture book, difference proliferates and is something to celebrate not marginalize. Using even friendly monsters as exemplars of difference runs the risk of unintentionally reinforcing ideas of what’s “normal,” but Stephens and Subisak seem largely to avoid this pitfall by making everyone in this book different and framing friendship as—at heart—a relationship between dissimilar people who appreciate one another’s personalities and talents. Cy doesn’t need to change himself in fundamental ways, but he does need to develop strategies and spirit to meet other people in the wider world. Subisak’s illustrations incorporate elements from mythology, fairytale, and the present day. At first glance the images’ accessibility might belie their artistry. They do, however, reward revisiting and unrushed viewing. An informational page at the start of the book provides brief notes about the mythological creatures contained in its pages. – Rebecca Resinski