Less Than A Week Till Halloween: 5 Monster Books To Help Set The Mood

Well since my post yesterday on monsters, I've got monsters on my mind!  Here's a short list of some cute and 'friendly' monster books.

1) Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

This book is a true classic (that has even been made into a movie, although I've never seen it).  I can remember my school librarian reading this book to my classroom in elementary school, and being mesmerized by the story and the pictures because there is something magical about them.  At heart, this is a story about a child's vivid imagination and the land of monsters (or wild things) that he creates to entertain himself while he is being punished in his room.  The story has a few (what I would consider famous) lines that are repeated, and if said with the proper enthusiasm like my school librarian said them so many years ago, I'm certain this tale will become one of your child's favorites, too.  Two thumbs up for a book that celebrates childhood imagination, and has withstood the test of time.

2) There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer

This is another book that brings me right back to elementary school and has also withstood the test of time (I just saw it on display in Barnes & Noble and it was first published in the 60s). It is the tale of a little boy who is afraid of a nightmare (or monster) who lives in his closet.  It turns out, though, that this nightmare is a big wimp!  It's not a lengthy book, so I think a younger or older toddler would enjoy it.  If your child is anything like baby bookworm, he will thoroughly enjoy seeing this wimpy monster shed a tear or two instead of the other way around.

3) Five Ugly Monsters by Tedd Arnold

This book is similar to five little monkeys jumping on the bed, but only with monsters.  It's a fun version of the well-known song and book that nearly any toddler would love.  Work it into a theme on monsters, or into a math lesson - either way, I promise you will end up having a good time.

4) The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone and illustrated by Michael Smollin

Our old pal Grover from Sesame Street is the lead character in this funny story.  What I like about this book is that it builds anticipation in the reader - you want to turn the pages of the story even though Grover is begging you (the reader) NOT to because there is a monster at the end of the book (and he is afraid of monsters)!  I won't spoil the ending, although I'm sure you can imagine where it might lead.  It's a really fun book for us because we can act completely silly - I have the most fun exclaiming "YOU TURNED ANOTHER PAGE!" and baby bookworm thinks it's hysterical. 

5) Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley

A book about a monster who appears and disappears as you turn the pages.  A good lesson for baby bookworms on parts of the face and colors!  If you are interested in a craft idea for this book, check out my post from yesterday.

I hope you enjoy making friends with all of these monsters as much as we did!

Just for Fun Friday: Reading for Sheer Pleasure

Fridays have always been my favorite day of the week.  Even when I was working full time, I always looked forward to my Friday work day.  My husband disagrees and says that Saturdays are, in fact, the best day of the week because you don't actually have to go to work.  But, not me, I think Fridays are like Christmas Eve - sometimes the anticipation of something is more fun.  And to me, Friday was always the anticipation of 5:00 when work was over, possibly heading out to happy hour, dinner, a movie, and then I had sleeping in on Saturday mornings and waking up to the realization that I still had one more day off of work to enjoy. Ahhh...well, now that I'm a stay-at-home mom, Fridays don't quite hold the same allure, but I still really like them.  Just for old times sake, I like to keep the "fun" in Friday for baby bookworm and I.  So, today we read several books just for the sake of enjoying time together and having fun with books.  That's it.

Here's how this fun Friday went (Can you even believe how the meaning of this word has changed since becoming a mom to baby bookworm?!  I can't):

The Monster At the End of this Book
by Jon Stone and illustrated by Smollin

Baby bookworm and I have been reading this book since she was itty-bitty.  We actually have the board book version of it.  This book is a story about Grover, a monster from Sesame Street, who is actually afraid of the "monster" at the end of this book so he doesn't want the reader to turn the next page and bring him closer to, you guessed it, the end of the book.  But, it turns out that he IS the monster at the end of the book, and he's lovable and furry (and cute).  It's a really fun book for me to read because I can act completely silly.  Baby bookworm recognizes Grover from Sesame Street now, so enjoys it for that reason too.  I have the most fun exclaiming "YOU TURNED ANOTHER PAGE!"....I can be that actress I never got to be.  It also reinforces some concepts of print, by the way, as it directs baby bookworm to the END of the book.

The Boss Baby
by Marla Frazee

Hmm...does the title sound familiar?  Yes, in most families the baby is boss.  That's why this book is sooooo darn cute (and makes a great gift for new parents of a baby boy).  Baby bookworm and I read this story often and she likes it.  The illustrations are great - there's something very amusing about a baby in a tie with a briefcase who sets up his office right "smack dab" in the middle of the living room!  Baby bookworm talks about "boss baby" all the time.  Hmmm....I wonder if she's actually referring to herself in third person.

To finish up our fun Friday, we took a trip to the park.  Nothing like crisp, fresh air and sunshine after a long, long, ever so long, winter.  While I may not have sleeping in tomorrow to look forward to tonight, at least I have looking forward to seeing her adorable face in the morning......and enjoying many more good books together.  Gosh, how fun HAS changed.