Funny Children’s Books Starring Silly, Lovable Monsters
by Tom Burns
( readbrightly.com )
Meet Tom Burns
Tom Burns is a husband, a dad, and a veteran of the educational publishing industry, living just outside of Detroit Rock City. He’s the founder of BuildingaLibrary.com, a website devoted to helping parents find the right books for their kids, and has served as a contributing editor for 8BitDad.com and The Good Men Project. His writing has also been featured on Time Magazine, Reading Rainbow, The Huffington Post, xoJane, and various other sites, and he has made appearances on "The Meredith Vieira Show" and "HuffPost Live". Tom is counting down the days until he can read his daughter The Phantom Tollbooth. You can find him on Twitter @buildalibrary.
*****
A lot of kids love monsters, which is hilarious when you think about it.
In theory, monsters should terrify children. They’re big, aggressive, weird-looking creatures that lurk under beds and jump out of dark closets. But when my daughter was younger, she was way more scared of self-flushing toilets than anything with big teeth and tentacles. Kids like to use the word “monster” when they’re nervous about the unknown, but, when a child actually sees a monster, nine times out of ten, they laugh. Because monsters are huge, goofy weirdoes, and who doesn’t love that?
If your kid can’t get enough of monsters — the Sesame Street or Hotel Transylvania monsters, not the “Charlize Theron in ‘Monster’” monsters — they will definitely enjoy these side-splitting illustrated books that brilliantly show off just how funny monsters can be.
by Jon Stone, illustrated by Michael Smollin
Just putting this out there ... this may be one of the smartest, funniest books ever written. And, yes, it does star Sesame Street’s lovable, furry old Grover. The concept is ingenious: Grover does not want you to read this book, because there’s a monster in the final pages, and Grover is legit scared. What follows is perhaps the best read-aloud experience a kid can have, as Grover keeps begging us to stop as we proudly tear down his defenses. It’s smart, it’s meta, it’s laugh-out-loud funny. This is a true classic.
by Jory John, illustrated by Bob Shea
Is “monster” a bad word? Kids will get a real kick out of the premise of this picture book as a shaggy, toothy creature implores readers to not use the “m-word.” His real name is Floyd, and author Jory John mines a lot of humor out of a classic crazy monster begging kids to notice his other qualities. (Even if he does occasionally hide under a bed.) Young readers will love Floyd’s attempts to hide his monstrous tendencies and fans of John and Bob Shea’s previous collaboration, I Will Chomp You!, will be delighted.
by Mo Willems
The only thing that’s funnier than a monster is a monster who is AWFUL at scaring people. Legendary author Mo Willems does a fantastic job of making us feel for his not-all-scary friend Leonardo, who just can’t seem to figure out how to frighten people. Thankfully, Leo learns that he has other qualities that are more important than inspiring terror. His journey to that realization is warm-hearted, fun, and hilarious, and Willems’s illustrations will make every kid want to adopt Leonardo as their new BFF.
by Michael Rex
The title says it all — the monster in this book really wants to chow down on a young boy named Pete. But Pete is just too excited to have a new exciting friend to play with and he’s not going to allow himself to become lunch until they have a lot of fun together. The playful tension of “OMG, is he really going to eat Pete?” will keep your youngest readers on the edge of their seats, but mostly because the story is so funny (and that poor monster is so hungry).
by Adam Rex
Parents will have a hard time keeping a straight face as they read this uproarious collection of poems about some of the world’s most famous monsters. Rex’s skewed take on the monster world is marvelously weird, and everything is made funnier by his next-level illustrations. This is a staggeringly beautiful picture book, particularly for a book that includes poems like “Godzilla Pooped on My Honda.” Rex’s follow-up, Frankenstein Takes the Cake, is just as a monstrously inspired.
by Tom Fletcher, illustrated by Greg Abbott
This is another killer read-aloud book, the kind that’s so energetic and fun that it might actually be a bad idea to read it to your kid at bedtime. (They’ll laugh too much.) The premise is simple: There’s a monster in this picture book and you have to figure out how to get him out. Author and YouTube star Tom Fletcher really does an amazing job of making the book feel interactive as the mischievous monster gleefully chews through the fourth wall, tears through the pages, and hysterically engages your kid's imagination. (Make sure to check out the new board book version too!)
by John Solimine
Every caregiver knows that one of the scariest things about parenting is the endless barrage of questions. Kids are naturally inquisitive and, in this clever picture book, John Solimine helps demystify monsters by having a bright young girl ask every monster question that’s ever occurred to her. It’s an incredibly funny setup, which actually invites children to think about monsters in a more empathetic light. I mean, can you really be that scared of the boogeyman after someone comes out and asks, “Does the boogeyman have boogers?”
by David Soman
This is a perfect book for young readers who sometimes struggle with the emotions of friendship. Soman shows us a boy meeting his next-door neighbor, a monster, and going through all the stages of getting to know each other — introductions, playing, getting annoyed, fighting, regret, and making up. The visuals and the situations are exaggerated and legitimately funny, but kids will find a lot they recognize in how they sometimes cast their friends as monsters when they disagree.
by Christopher Eliopoulos
Perfect for young readers who are ready for graphic novels, Monster Mayhem centers on a robot-building girl who has trouble making friends — until some unexpected magic leads Chomp, a monster who loves to eat buildings, to her door. It’s a wildly exciting monster-filled romp that will keep kids laughing and in suspense until its final pages.
What are your favorite kids’ books about funny monsters? Let us know in the comments below! Have a great weekend everyone and see you back here on Monday. Everyone is warmly welcome on Storywraps!
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