I like the message that author Brian James Freeman is trying to impart in his children's book, The Girl Who Builds Monsters.

But I don't think it comes across the way he intended.

The book is about a girl who, because of a birthmark on her face, is shunned by the other children in her town. Emma lives with her grandfather, who runs a one-man doll factory, and she spends her time exploring the factory (Does OSHA know?) until one day she finds a room full of damaged dolls and broken machinery parts. While her grandfather makes the "most beautiful dolls imaginable," Emma begins making "monster" dolls out of mismatched parts. (You get the symbolism, right?)

Her grandfather believes Emma's dolls will give children nightmares, but she loves them and takes them home, adding them to her collection of perfect dolls made by her grandfather. And she plays with them all, together. (You get the symbolism, right?)

At night, while Emma sleeps, the dolls come to life because she loves them. In keeping with Toy Story logic, the dolls must keep their lives secret from people, because ... um, I'm sure they have their reasons.

Then one night, two burglars break into their home to steal the grandfather's vast doll-making fortune. While the beautiful dolls refuse to do anything because they must remain still whenever people are looking, the "monster" dolls trap and terrorize the thieves in the basement because ... I guess beautiful dolls are cowards who follow the rules, while "monster" dolls are brave and selfless rebels? (Is that symbolic of something?)

So then Emma starts making monster dolls for all the town's children, and they all love them as much as the beautiful dolls, and everyone accepts everybody else for who they are, and everyone (except, presumably, the burglars) lives happily ever after.

Again, I get the message that Freeman is going for here, and it's a good, important message, no question about it. But his message of acceptance despite differences gets a little bogged down when he assumes the mainstream dolls would stand by and allow their beloved owner to get hurt because of ... reasons. How much better would it be if the dolls had all worked together to beat the bad guys? Now that's some good symbolism.

Illustrations by Vincent Chong are cute and colorful. My only issue with the art is Emma's birthmark, which looks more like a pop star's makeup choice and not at all like something that would frighten other children.