Monsters in the Fog — Ali Bahrampour

A donkey's trip up the mountain turns eerie when he encounters “monsters” along the way in Monsters in the Fog, a humorous, suspenseful picture book about challenging first impressions.
 
Hakim is traveling up the mountain to visit his friend Daisy, but the fog is so thick that he can't see the road ahead. Then an old goat appears out of nowhere and delivers a sinister warning: “Beware! Beware! There are monsters up there!”
 
Hakim trots with caution, until he hears an awful groan, growing closer and closer. And out of the mist comes the strangest creature Hakim has ever seen . . . Is Hakim doomed? Or are things not always what they seem?
 
In this clever story about how appearances can be deceiving, author/illustrator Ali Bahrampour reminds us that everyone looks like a monster in the fog -- until you get closer.
 
* “The cartoonish humor of the drawings provides a perfect counterpart to the calm, concise language of the tale's spare sentences, much as Hakim's steady resolve provides counterpoint to the jitters of his companions.” -- School Library Journal (starred review)