I Need My Monster (I Need My Monster)
by Amanda Noll (Author) Howard McWilliam (Illustrator)
A unique monster-under-the-bed story with the perfect balance of giggles and shivers, this picture book relies on the power of humor over fear, appeals to a child's love for creatures both alarming and absurd, and glorifies the scope of a child's imagination. One night, when Ethan checks under his bed for his monster, Gabe, he finds a note from him instead: "Gone fishing. Back in a week."
Ethan knows that without Gabe's familiar nightly scares he doesn't stand a chance of getting to sleep, so Ethan interviews potential substitutes to see if they've got the right equipment for the job--pointy teeth, sharp claws, and a long tail--but none of them proves scary enough for Ethan. When Gabe returns sooner than expected from his fishing trip, Ethan is thrilled. It turns out that Gabe didn't enjoy fishing because the fish scared too easily.
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School Library Journal
Gr 1-3 When Ethan's resident "under the bed" monster named Gabe takes an unexpected vacation, a host of substitutes applies to fill in for him. However, none meet the boy's very picky requirements. Noll has great fun describing the interview process: "Do you have long teeth and scratchy claws?" Ethan asks the first candidate, Herbert. "No, but I have an overbite. And I'm a mouth breather." Ralph has the requisite claws, but he polishes them so they are not scary enough. So it goes with all the candidates, until Gabe returns home early, allowing Ethan to get a good night's sleep. The dark humor is perfectly matched to McWilliam's creepy-cute artwork. Any potential scariness in the text and art is offset by the silly details that are included, making for a fun nighttime read for those who enjoy a bit of shiver as they are tucked in to bed. This would also make a great read-aloud for a slightly older audience at a night-themed storyhour. - Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA
Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Publishers Weekly
This debut picture book for both author and illustrator offers a droll take on the monster-under-the-bed theme. Ethan is distressed when he peers under the mattress for his monster but finds only a note: Gone fishing. Back in a week. How can he fall asleep without Gabe's ragged breathing. His nose-whistling. The scrabbling of his uncut claws and the spooky green ooze he emits? Concluding that he needs a substitute, the bug-eyed boy knocks on the floorboards to summon one, but the beasts that appear one by one aren't sufficiently menacing (The whole point of having a monster, after all, was to keep me in bed, imagining all the scary stuff that could happen if I got out). Ethan engages in spry repartee with the monsters he rejects before Gabe reappears, having cut short his trip. Dramatic in perspective, McWilliam's exaggerated, digitally colored art renders the monsters in a spectrum of neon hues and outlandish shapes. The collaborators ably balance some bedtime chills with humor, and Ethan's enthusiasm for his monster should prove infectious. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)
Copyright 2009 Publishers Weekly, Used with permission
Kirkus
A clever anxiety-defuser and an unusually well done double-debut.
Review quotes
Amanda Noll is a writer. She lives in Spanaway, Washington. Howard McWilliam has won awards for his artwork, including National Young Cartoonist of the Year (UK), and has contributed art to a wide range of magazines and newspapers including, Child Education, The Daily Telegraph, Nursery Education, and The Week.
JUV010000 - Juvenile Fiction | Bedtime & Dreams
Monsters
