Children have always wondered about monsters. Whether they have been fearful or like my son, enjoy the nervous shiver, monsters seem present in the lives of most young children. There are many, many books that can help to make children feel good about monsters. We, as adults, need to make monsters friendly for our children, for monsters are an important symbol. We need to let them see their power over big frightening things outside of themselves and also, often the frightening things inside.
A caution! Some children will be frightened by these books no matter how mild the beasts. I think it's a good idea to introduce a book to fight this fear, but if the fears seem increased, put the book away and re-introduce it in several months. Most times, a child will come to peace with monsters a bit and enjoy seeing them in their literature, but there are some children who never can handle monsters in books.
When Maurice Sendak published Where the Wild Things Are , breaking the monster taboo, adults were afraid that children would be frightened to death of this book. Instead, it is probably the best recognized children's book in the world. With his protagonist Max, Sendak accompanies children through their fears to triumph in their power. Max is a wonderful role model. He is in control of the lumbering beasts who do his bidding and when his control becomes questionable, he departs victoriously. There is a great deal of support for Max to draw on. When he smells good things from home, he is being nurtured by the mother we never see. We know, without being told , she has always been a source of reassurance for him and always will be. Besides having such strong emotional underpinnings, this book is great fun to read aloud. I can remember times when Max brought wild rumpuses alive in our home. Ages 2-6. (Harper and Row, 1963)
In Harry and the Terrible Whatzit by Dick Gackenbach, Harry takes on the "double-headed, three-clawed, six-toed, long horned Whatzit" that hides in his basement. What Harry learns is that when he conquers his own fear, the monster shrinks in size. A wonderfully meaningful story to children and full of humor and dramatic reading potential that aid an adult's enjoyment as well. I also admire the sub-theme's resolution of the Harry's mother's belief in him despite what may seem apparent. Ages 3-6. (Houghton Mifflin, 1977)
A young child who is beginning to both count and abolish fear of monsters will enjoy One Hungry Monster by by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe. Rollicking rhymes and rhythms tell the story ten hungry monsters who wake a small sleeping boy. After catering to their unending appetites, he finally loses his temper and shouts them out of the house. The ridiculous monster cravings and things they bizarre things they do with food increase the humor while showing us that they never think about eating the boy! Ages 2-4. (Little Brown, 1989)
When Amy goes to visit her clever, but cruel twin cousins, Jocasta and Meredith, they invent a monster that at first terrifies Amy and she's tormented by the threats of his coming out from under the bed. Jenny Wagner, author of Amy's Monster, of course provides a solution. Amy finally looks under the bed and discovers not only that the monster Hepzibah is small during the day, but friendly enough to oblige her. Very soon, the monster becomes her tool of threat and her two cousins are suddenly kindly. Ages 3-7. (Viking, 1990)
Sometimes monsters are horrible ... and children can still conquer them! Pete Seeger's storysong Abiyoyo is one of the most powerful children's book I've ever read to children. Based on a South African lullaby and folk story, the story tells of a boy and his father outcast by a village because of the father's wrong use of magic. There they encounter a horrible gigantic fearsome creature and yet, the boy's desire to save his village is so strong that he devises a plot and successfully defeats the monster! It's very worthwhile getting the tape by Pete Seeger. Our family plays different roles in the telling. My daughter at two loved be the monster, Abiyoyo! Ages 2-8. (Macmillan, 1986)
Though it doesn't have a young protagonist, Do Not Open by Briton Turkle is an important monster book to know about it. It is the story of an old beach combing woman who unleashes an evil shape-changer from a bottle. The creature gets more and more frightening and repulsive as the pages go on and still, the woman conquers. Worried about fear-factor, I once introduced a child psychologist to this book. She loved it immediately for the portrayal of horrible monsters who seem too big to defeat and yet somehow we do! This is not a book for a monster-fearing child, however. Ages 4-8. (Dutton, 1981)
It would seem that many stories about monsters take place at night. This makes great sense as this is generally when children are most fearful. One of the bravest night time protagonists is the little boy in There's a Nightmare in My Closet. (Dial, 1968) He serves as wonderful role model as he takes on the large and lumbering beast who comes out of his closet . And he is another kind of role model when he uses his soft heart to solve the problem by taking the nightmare to bed with him. Author-illustrator Mercer Mayer realized that so many children had been empowered by this book, that he conceived two other brave role models who are also loved by children. There's an Alligator Under My Bed (Dial, $11.95)has a male protagonist who lures the under-the-bed alligator into his garage. In There's Something in My Attic, (Dial, $11.95) a strong female protagonist lassos the attic monster who plagues her sleep.
It's important to see girl children fight monsters in most children's books, one usually sees the boys act as conquerors. Not so in Maggie and the Monster by Elizabeth Winthrop. When a bumbling monster comes into her room, Maggie is angry about having her rest disturbed. It is only when she takes a more female approach, asking about the monster and guiding it to its mother, that her problems are solved. Maggie's mother in the story acts as a support system as well as a foil to the closet-living mama monster. Tomie de Paola lends illustrative strength to an already strong story. Ages 3-6. Available in hardcover and paperback. (Holiday House, 1987)
Sometimes night monsters are not always what they appear to be. A case in point is Sally Grindley's Knock, Knock! Who's There?, illustrated by Anthony Browne. A little girl waiting in bed for her Daddy's tuck-in is visited by a witch, a ghost, a dragon and a giant. Curiously, all these visitors wear the same plaid slippers that her father does. The knock-knock format encourages participation and the ending is reassuring. Again, this is a book to talk about after reading. My older son loves reading and playing the part of the little girl. Ages 3-5. Hardcover only. (Knopf, )
Anna B. Francis' Pleasant Dreams is a near wordless book that begins with two big green monsters coming out of a closet to stare at a child in sleep. We view them from a variety of perspectives until at last we see them from the child's point of view... only to discover that the child is their daughter. Ages 3-6. Available in hardcover only. (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, )
Many are the parents that don't listen to their children's night fears. Parents can take a lesson from illustrator-author Diane Goode's I Hear a Noise. In it, a small boy can't sleep because he hears a noise. His mother, instead of listening with him, gives him a string of reassurances. Imagine their surprise when a monster comes in the window and carries them off to his monster-home in the skies. Fortunately, there is a monster-mother who makes her child return these humans and promise "never to touch them again." This is a great read aloud for a parent who likes to do dramatic monster voices. The monster-human parallels are fun. My two year old claims she is scared to death, but wants this book repeated five times in a row at every reading. I have a sense that the comical helps her work out some fears. Again, this is a book to talk about after sharing. Ages 3-6. Hardcover only. (Dutton,1988 )
Sometimes a child needs something to fight monsters with. In Boris and the Monsters by Elaine Macmann Willoughby, the small boy is afraid to go to bed because he sees monsters everywhere. Only when he has to protect his small watch dog is he able to conquer his fears. Ages 3-6. Available hardcover and paperback. (Houghton Mifflin, 1980)
Monster have fears, too. And one of their worst fears is... you guessed it... HUMANS! At least that's the problem for Robert Crowe's Clyde Monster (Dutton, 1967) and in Jeanne Willis' The Monster Bed. (Lothrop,1986) While Clyde Monster is satisfied with keeping his cave door open a bit; Dennis, the monster, actually sees a Human. Both are well illustrated, great read-alouds and easy for a child to identify with. Ages 3-6.
I think one good way to fight fear in children is to wonder with them why monsters have gotten such bad p.r. through the years. I refer to it as monster prejudice and by the way, it makes a very good way to approach the issue of discrimination. I am curious as to why there is so much prejudice about monsters. So is John Troy McQueen in A World Full of Monsters. The speaker knows that a long time ago, monsters were everywhere. Illustrator Marc Brown shows monsters integrated into every phase of life, from the ballet to politics. So if the child hears monster noises in the night, he'll "just say 'Hi, Monster!'" if one comes in his room and then go back to sleep. I wonder why it took so long for someone to think of this very simple solution to monster night fears! Ages 3-6. Hardcover and paperback available. (Crowell, 1986)
The Monster is COMING! by Michaela Morgan and Sue Porter is a flap book that details a young girl's apparent flight from a blue furry monster. Only at the end do we find out that they are involved in a game of hide and seek. Ages 2-5. (Harper, 1987)
Little Wolf and the GIANT by Sue Porter starts as a "Red Riding Hood" variation as Little Wolf carries baskets to his Granny. He fearfully asks his mother if there are giants in the woods, but her calm negative apparently does little to comfort him as he trembles in fear. Finally, the Giant he fears catches up to him and sadly states the need for friendship. By the end, Little Wolf's fear has switched to witches and the reader views one lurking in the woods... A very good discussion-beginning ending. Ages 3-6. (Simon and Schuster, 1989)
In Company's Coming by Arthur Yorinks, the "monsters" are spacemen that throw Moe, Shirley, their surburban town of Bellmore, the FBI, and soldiers into a tail-spin. Terrors come to a head when the aliens present Shirley with a present. Of course, everyone's anxieties are unfounded as she unwraps... a blender. The story has great dramatic reading qualities and good conversational possibilities as well. Ages 4-8. (Crown, 1988)
In Henrik Drescher's Simon's Book, the young hero creates a monster on paper who comes to life and then pursues the boy. Seldom have I read a picture book with such tension built in. At the end of the mad race we discover that the monster is chasing Simon to give him a "big sloppy kiss." Getting there might be a little difficult for the fearful, but the relief is ever so much worth it! Ages 4-8. (Morrow; Scholastic, 1983)
Sometimes children can turn into monsters. Most all adults have view this for themselves, I captured it in my book,Extraordinary Chester, the story of a small boy who does monstrous things to get his parents attention. He turns into a horned and tailed beast and has to learn how to limit himself before the monster parts disappear. My illustrator, Susan Torrence did a superb job of creating Chester in picture and his parents and dog Woofer who can be found in every picture. Her detailing makes this an enjoyable book for adults to share with children. Perhaps they may see themselves in the parent's busyness as I saw myself. Ages 3-8. (Red Hen Press, 1988)
Lord Rex, the lion who wished is the story of a lion who wishes he were anything but himself. He encounters magical creatures who give him his wishes of wings, long neck, trunk... on and on until he is monstrous looking. Fortunately he is restored to his former physical appearance and transformed by his lesson into a happy lion. Ages 3-7.(______, 1973)
One of the things I love about books with monsters is that there is usually some kind of wonderful surprise. In Harve and Margot Zemach's The Judge we hear the story of a roving monster in a series of strongly rhymed and rhythmed verses. Informants are imprisoned by a judge for tale-telling. In a surprising turn of events, the last six wordless pages show us the creature appearing, gobbling the judge and the prisoners going free. Children will love this for its song-like quality, the final shock and the outrageous illustrations by Margot Zemach. Ages 2-6. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1969)
Out of print, but well worth locating in a library is Ruth Park's When the Wind Changed. I love this book so much I had a friend find it for me when she went to Australia. Josh's best talent is making faces. He comes by it honestly because his father was also proficient at this. His father warns him that if the wind changed, he could stay like that, but Josh goes on making faces without listening. That is, until the wind changes. Deborah Niland's illustrations are some of the funniest I've ever seen in a children's book, a perfect manifestation of the clever humor hidden in the story. This book has one of the best surprise endings I have ever seen in a book Ages 2- adult. ( )
Imogene wakes one morning in Imogene's Antlers to find that she has grown antlers during the night! She seems delighted with the surprise, though her mother is less than thrilled. As if the surprise of situation weren't enough, author-illustrator David Small gives us a final jolt in his astonishing ending. Ages 3-7. (Crown, 1989)