Debut author Mark Riddle spins an original fairy-tale in Margarash, the story of a coin-collecting boy who is dragged down into the land beneath the couch-cushions by the eponymous monster Margarash, who is also a numismatist. Thrown into a cage, Collin is at first in despair, but slowly he becomes interested in Margarash's coins. Eventually, using his own special magic coin, he finds a way to free himself and return to the world outside the couch. Once liberated, however, he finds that he misses his interaction with the monster...

I found Riddle's story here quite engaging and well told, and think that young children who enjoy fairy and folktales will enjoy it as well. I got a chuckle out of the author's creative use of the classic "things get lost in the sofa/couch" idea, and found the artwork by Tim Miller, illustrator of such books as Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book), quite expressive and entertaining. Recommended to picture-book readers and listeners who enjoy adventure stories and tales of monsters, as well as to Tim Miller fans. ( )