Monsters

Chances are you might know a kid that is scared of monsters.  They can't sleep at night because of monsters, or maybe they need the light on.  Marilyn in the book Marilyn's Monster gives monsters a new name.  All the sudden monsters aren't to be feared, but they are friends to play with.

Everyone in Marilyn's class was getting a monster.  You had to wait for your monster, your monster would come and find you.  Your monster might find you riding your bike, or taking a test at school.  The problem is Marilyn waited and waited for her monster but he never came and Marilyn was the only kid without a monster. She had no one to play with or laugh with.  She had no one to keep her safe at night. Monsters were pretty great and Marilyn really wanted one.  She could not wait anymore and decided to go and find her monster. She walked and walked and searched and searched.  She yelled out "WHERE ARE YOU!" and heard a soft voice reply, "here."  She had found her monster!  He had gotten lost and stuck but Marilyn came to save him.  Marilyn took him home and they were best friends!

Marilyn and her monster might help your child get over a fear of monsters.  You could also have your child draw and create their own monster.  All the monsters in the book are so different and unique, just like our children.  What kind of monster would your child come up with?

Here is a blog with some really fun monster craft ideas:

Here are some yummy to eat Monster Cupcakes:

Happy Reading!

Laura

Childhood Favorite

Today for Throwback Thursday I want to share with you one of my childhood favorites, There's a Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone.

I don't even know where to begin in telling you what makes this book so amazing.  First, it is a Little Golden Book, and if you are like me just seeing that gold binding brings back memories of childhood reading.  When I first had my son and I saw this book at the bookstore I had to buy it for him- it is his first Little Golden Book.

What else makes it amazing you ask?  Well the plot for one.  Here is Grover having a conversation with you about how he absolutely does not want to see the monster at the end of the book.  He tries everything begging, pleading, tying and nailing pages together.  Grover will stop at nothing to get you to stop turning pages.  But of course the reader cannot help but turn the pages because they want to see the monster at the end of the book.  When you finally get to the end of the book the only monster there is Grover who is "So embarrassed."

I am not going to stop there.  My one and a half year old loves this book, even he gets the humor in it.  It is a book that we can interact with.  When Grover is pleading not to turn the page I always ask my son, "Should we turn the page?" and the answer is always yes.  I love reading it to him and hearing him laugh at what he thinks is so funny, that must be why it is a "Little Golden Book" because anything that can make a baby laugh is golden to me!

Lastly, this book was written by an original Sesame Street writer.   Jon Stone wrote the pilot episode of Sesame Street, directed and produced several episodes.  He was the director from 1969 to 1994.  If The Monster at the End of this Book  was written by a Sesame Street director than it has to be good.

If your child does not yet have a Little Golden Book, make this their first one, or at least add it to the collection.  It is totally worth the $2.99 it costs!

Happy Reading!
Laura

Leonardo and the Terrible Monster

It's October first which officially makes it the month of witches, ghost, monsters and all things Halloween.  While I will be sharing some of my absolute favorite Halloween stories to read aloud this month I first want to share with you a story about a not so scary monster named Leonardo.

Leonardo the Terrible Monster is by my all time favorite children's author Mo Willems.  It is the sweet story of a monster, who at first you think is going to be terribly mean and nasty but, soon find out he is just not very good at being a monster. 

Leonardo just wishes for the chance to "scare the tuna salad" out of someone, so he finds the most scaredy cat boy in the whole world- Sam.  When Leonard sneaks up on Sam and scares him Sam starts to cry.  Leonardo is so proud of himself but then he realizes that Sam is crying because of the terrible day that he has had.  At that moment Leonardo discovers that "instead of being a terrible monster, he could be a wonderful friend."

Not only does this book have a sweet message but kids think it is funny.  They like how Mo Willems write Sam's entire bad day on one page with not punctuation so it has be to read all in one breath and how he uses dialogue to move the story along.  When you read this book out loud make it even more fun by coming up with a voice for Sam and Leonardo.

Start out October by reading Leonardo the Terrible Monster to show kids that monsters are not always mean and scary!

Happy Reading!

Laura