The sights and smells of Halloween are everywhere. Walking around a well decorated neighborhood this time of year can be interesting – especially for curious littles getting their first exposure!
Monster books have become quite popular, and there are some really good ones out there! They are a perfect way to help navigate the topics of emotions and especially fear. Young children often can’t distinguish between real vs pretend – and parents are partly to blame with our tooth fairies and egg laying bunnies. So have some interesting discussions while you devour a book that tones down the scariness of monsters a bit with some laughs and creativity! Here are some of our favorite monster books with a focus on emotions.
The Color Monster
(ages 2-6) These crayon illustrations could inspire almost any reader to want to get out some crayons and scissors and create some monsters of their own and talk about emotions. With its simple format it’s a great way to launch a more in-depth conversation about feelings. This book is available in traditional or POP-UP versions – both delightful and sure to bring out all the feels and scribbles.
Monster Faces
(ages 0-3) Board Book – We seldom recommend books from TV, but we do make a few exceptions and this Sesame Street book is one. The expressions are spot on, from “naughty face” to “sorry face”. It’s especially delightful to imitate the faces along with your toddler while reading this book together. Expression and emotion can take skill to identify and navigate – so have fun practicing!
Glad Monster, Sad Monster
(ages 2-4) Just like every person, every monster has feelings too. The various colored monsters share things that cause them (and us) to feel sad or glad or mad or worried. Create the perfect environment for discussing some of your emotions and experiences. This book is complete with Ed’s usual die cut style and even includes some die cut masks for interactively expressing the emotions from the book – and a pocket in the back for storing them.Our two favorite “classic” MONSTER BOOKS for those of us that now call ourselves grandparents! These have truly earned themselves permanent shelf status and should be a part of every home library in our opinion. I still remember the first time having both of these read to me, and they are truly magical in their ability to connect with young children.
Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are was originally published in 1963, and his ability to remember what it was really like to be angry as a kid and put it to pen and ink is admirable.
One of Jim Henson’s most loved monsters, loveably furry old Grover, makes a debut in a real page turner that creates more suspense with every turn of the page. Originally published in 1971, The Monster at the End of This Book is always best the first time through and shared again and again for the first time with the rising generations. Who can you share this one with for the first time?
Where the Wild Things Are
(ages 2-6) Embark on a magical journey with Max to the island of wild things. And anyone who’s had to take a “time out” can always relate and appreciate coming back to reality and finding Mom still loves and feeds you. Who can forget their first encounter with Max and the Wild Things? Since its publication in 1963, this book has stood the test of time and remains a favorite among young and old today.
The Monster at the End of This Book
(ages 1+) Lovable, furry old Grover brings all his personality and the perfect amount of suspense in this engaging and adorable book that has remained a top-loved and memorable one for years now. I rarely make recommendations from television or pop culture, but make an exception when it comes to Jim Henson’s lovable monsters. Must be read in character for the full effect. Be careful turning the pages, you just may fall in love with this book!Did you really have a childhood if you didn’t grow up with a few monsters in your bedroom? They were under the bed, above the covers when the lights went out and in the closet, so the door must be kept closed! Mercer Mayer creates some cute ugly monsters and a young boy with the perfect personality for handling their drama.
There’s a Nightmare in My Closet
(ages 3-6) Remember the monster under your bed as a child? Here’s the nightmare in the closet. This book has been a fascination for preschoolers as they grapple with the mystery of monsters. Mercer Mayer’s style in prose and illustrations is hard to beat. This one is a treasured classic and favorite on our list!These monster books are playful and silly. Since we can imagine up the most elaborate of monsters, we may as well imagine them in the silliest of circumstances! Our favorite from this bunch is Monsters Love Underpants, and we hope you get as many giggles out of it as we do!
Monsters Love Underpants
(ages 3-7) These monsters love underpants, and we love the bright, colorful illustrations with engaging patterns for the silly underwear of all varieties. This playful book includes rhyming sections to get in the groove as you get introduced to the monsters lurking around . . . in their underwear of course.
How to Catch a Monster
(ages 3-6) Embrace your fears with this adorable monster catching book!
Leonardo the Terrible Monster
(ages 2-5) When a rather cute and not-so-scary monster, Leonardo, realizes he not good at being scary, he finds something else to be good at instead. We hope you enjoy this story of friendship and being okay with being different.Hands down the best monster alphabet book around! Make some monster letters of your own after you devour this book, and be careful not to drool.
D is for Drool: My Monster Alphabet
(ages 3-8) Monsters parade through every letter of the alphabet while showing off their interesting features. This is the perfect alphabet book for anyone fascinated with monsters! We love the creative imagination applied to character creation.And before our drumroll, here are some honorable mention monster books that fill some niches. Ed Emberley’s unique art style of negative and positive space with cut paper, as the monster is added to and taken away with each turn of the page in Go Away, Big Green Monster! can fascinate young and old and keep you flipping pages back and forth. Monster Mama is for a more mature child, and Tickle Monster can be an interactive book for a child learning their body parts combined with some tickle time.
Go Away, Big Green Monster!
(ages 2-4) You’ll appreciate the unique art style of negative and positive space with cut paper as the monster is added to and taken away with each turn of the page. The fascinating pages can keep a child’s (and adult’s) interest.
Monster Mama
(ages 4-8) Imagine if your mama was a real monster and could scare away all the mean bullies in your life. Maybe there are some advantages to having a monster for a mama.
Tickle Monster
(ages 1-4) When it’s tickle time, this interactive tickling monster story elevates the laughter and magic.A bedtime story is a best way to end any day, so we are ending this post with two monster books perfect for the occasion of tucking in your little monster.
Goodnight, Little Monster
(ages 2-5) A perfect read just before tucking in your little monster.
