#19- I Need My Monster

#19- I Need My Monster

I Need My Monster

Written by: Amanda Noll

Illustrated by: Howard McWilliam

Flashlight Press Inc., 2009

31 pages


Fantasy

“What was I going to do? I needed a monster under my bed. How was I supposed to get to sleep if my monster was gone?

            This book is about a little boy who loves his monster that is under his bed. One day, his monster, Gabe, goes fishing. The little boy is upset because he needs his monster to sleep. He missed his ragged breathing, nose-whistling, scrapping claws, and spooky green ooze. He knocks on his floorboard to summon another monster. Four different monsters come to try and properly scare the boy, but he sends each of them away. Finally, Gabe returns. The little boy is very happy Gabe is back, and he is able to go to sleep.

            McWilliam used pencil on paper, and then painted the pictures with digital acrylic paint to create these beautiful, vibrant illustrations. McWilliam plays with light and shadows in every one of the pictures. Some of the illustrations are on a double-page spread, and some of them are only drawn on a single-page spread. All of the monsters who the little boy rejects are drawn to look silly; but Gabe is drawn to look scary with dark colors.

            This book would be appropriate to use in a 2^nd or 3^rd grade classroom. You could use this book as a writing prompt. Your students could write a story about what their imaginary monster would look like, and what would happen if their monster lived under their bed. They would need to use a lot of description in their writing. They could follow their story with an illustration of what their monster looks like.