Albion Elementary teacher-librarian Jennifer Hughes recommends the I Need My Monster series.
I love this monster-under-the-bed series by Amanda Noll and illustrated by Howard McWilliam. It all starts with I Need My Monster, where Ethan discovers that his monster, Gabe, has left to go fishing. Ethan can’t possibly go to bed without his monster. But for most children, monsters under the bed are not things we discuss. They don’t exist. Oh, but they do, in full colour, in full scariness and silliness. And each with a unique voice and personality suited to a specific child.
These stories are so wonderful to read aloud to children. I often see young ones with a small look of hesitation in their eyes when I start reading, but by the end they are giggling, and I like to believe they are imagining what their monster would look like. Children go from shivers to laughter by the end of the story, and I can’t keep this series on the shelf.
• Check out all three books in the series: I Need My Monster, Hey That’s My Monster!, and How I Met My Monster.