As an only child, my daughter, Cam, is always on the lookout for imaginary friends; monsters are amongst her favorite fictional creatures to befriend. And more often than not, I’m also hoodwinked into bringing those characters to life with a bit of role-play. (e.g. ‘Will you be my friend, Monster?’)
So, when I first saw this book about a boy who tries to invent a monster friend, I was very eager to read it to her.
Monstersaurus greets you on the front cover of this book with his hefty size, fuzzy coat, and grinning smile. If you flip the book over, you’ll see his horns and blue spikes. His creator, Monty, is an inquisitive boy who loves inventing. Most of his inventions go awry, but he is persistent nevertheless.
Monty sets out to create himself as a monster friend. Not happy with the disorder caused by his first two inventions (the Bogablob and the Dust Monster), Monty tries one last invention to put things right. The result is Monstersaurus who chases the other monsters away with his big, juicy lips and becomes Monty’s new best friend.
Monstersaurus is entertaining to read and is sure to appeal to children of all ages. Monstersaurus is so large, that page-flipping is required to see him properly. The text is also fun with fabulous rhyme, exciting onomatopoeia (e.g. whoosh, pouf, kapow), and dynamic verbs and adjectives (e.g. bright sparks flashed, fizzing, drooled, gasped, and scarpered). It is also full of some pretty disgusting formula ingredients (e.g. moldy cheese and bellybutton fluff).
The ending of Monstersaurus is left open-ended, allowing Claire and Ben to create a sequel. You might encourage your children to write the next chapter themselves.
VISIT MY LITTLE BOOKCASE AGAIN TOMORROW, AND WE’LL SHOW YOU HOW MUCH FUN WE’RE HAVING WITH THE BOOK!
Book Details:
By Claire Freedman and Ben Cort
ISBN: 978-1847389046
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, September 2011
Suitable for ages: 3+
