Wednesday, October 23, 2019

" My Monsters Friends and Me" - a bookwrap




Unwrapping 





"My Monster Friends and Me: A Big Kid's Guide to Things That Go Bump in the Night" 

Authored by Annie Sarac
Illustrated by Alice Brereton

* Ages:  4-7
* Grade Level:  1-3
* Hardcover: 40 pages
* Publisher:  Sourcebooks Wonderland
* Pub. Date:  January 7, 2020
* Language:  English



Editorial Review


"A solid choice to address fears. " - Kirkus






Unwrapping Some Great Illustrations for You to Enjoy


























Unwrapping the Story




"When I was young I had many fears, 
like darkness or storms in the sky.
But then I learned when you meet your monsters,
you can make them friends if you try!" 

Many children face a variety of fears every day in their lives.  They can be frightened of the dark, of monsters in their room at bedtime when the lights go out, creepy shadows that seem to take on a life of their own, loud booming unfamiliar noises... and the list goes on and on and on.  

This rhyming book encourages young readers to name their fears and make their own personal monsters their friends.   The main character of the story, an eight year old boy, gives advice as to how to get the fearful imaginary creatures that are conjured up in his imagination under control.  

The first monster he exposes to the reader lives on the other side of his white picket fence.  

"The first scary monster
on the other side of the fence 
made me shiver and cry
And my muscles grow tense." 

Oh my!  As you read on you discover that the monster, with a deep snarly howl, sharp teeth and nails and three tails is really a darling sweet terrier.   The relieved boy gives her the name... KATE!  The boy then confesses that he is terrified of shadows and monsters outside his bedroom window that bang and rumble and cause havoc against his window pane.  The most fierce monster that terrifies him the most could be residing in his closet right in his bedroom. And what about under his bed?  They seem to be everywhere! 

Each of the fears that the boy discloses first appears as a scary foreboding bogyman but when you thumb on through the next few pages you find out that there is no need to be worried one bit because what the little boy has conjured up in his imagination is not reality at all.  The real characters are happy, friendly and fun. 

This book is a great way to spark conversations about fear and what monsters might be lurking inside your child's imagination.  Unmasking how to deal with that anxiety by naming them and then reimagining them as friendly is a wonderful thing to do. The illustrations are bright, colourful, full of action and detailed. "My Monster Friends and Me" can be a terrific help in defusing fears and anxiety in your child before the lights are turned off at bedtime.  I recommend this book. 






Storywraps Rating - 5 HUGS!!!!!
    









Meet the Illustrator 


Alice Brereton grew up in Minneapolis, MN, and is absurdly proud of it. Her artwork is colorful, textured, shape oriented, and always strives to be quirky or "smile inducing." Her favorite food is "pickled anything," and if she were not an illustrator, Alice would be at the bottom of the sea in a submarine, discovering new kinds of sea life and naming them ridiculous names.




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