Monster, Be Good!

July 1, 2013

PreS-K-It's readers' turn to be "in charge" of a group of grumpy, wild, and noisy little monsters. The first page reads, "If you tell them how to behave, they will listen." The following pages give tips for how to make these creatures be good if they are hungry, selfish, mean, messy, tired, and more. For example, "If a monster is hungry, give it a fork and a spoon and say, 'Chew Your Food!'" The book concludes with kissing the monster and saying, "Good Night." The text promotes manners and how to change negative behaviors. These lessons mirror child behaviors and the responses an adult would give. The simple text and kid-friendly illustrations in vibrant colors make this a great read-aloud.-Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OH

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May 1, 2013
A blatantly psychotherapeutic variation on Where the Wild Things Are and like empowerment fare. An invisible narrator addresses young children: "Don't be scared! You are in charge of the monsters. If you tell them how to behave, they will listen." Depicting externalization in action, Marshall crowds each busily colored and patterned spread with mildly scary cartoon cousins of Ed Emberley's Big Green Monster. They are all acting out or being selfish, mean or grumpy, but they are quickly brought into line with a corrective command like "Be quiet!"; "Sit still!"; or "Take turns!" Whether such direct orders will be more effective in real life coming from a child's mouth than an irritated caregiver's is anybody's guess, but children (and, for that matter, parents) may derive some satisfaction from at least the pretense of authority that is offered here. "If a monster is tired and grumpy, send it to bed and say, 'GO TO SLEEP!' " Like that would work. (Picture book. 3-5)

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