Title: Is There a Monster Over There?
Author and Illustrator: Sally O. Lee
Publisher: LeePublishing.net
ISBN: 1-4505-3102-4
With vivid and fanciful double-page illustrations, Is There a Monster Over There? is sure to grab the attention of children. This picture book addresses the fear some children have of unseen monsters lurking about. They may never see a monster, but that doesn’t stop them from being frightened.
Mabel searches all over her house for the monster’s hiding place. She looks under her bed, outside her window, and in her closet. Mabel is certain the monster is hiding and getting ready to pounce on her. Ah, the imagination of a child.
Although Mabel is scared, she does take steps to protect herself and her cat, Tiffany. She builds a fort out of a blanket that will keep them safe. But, finally she rethinks the situation . . . maybe the monster isn’t bad or scary. Maybe, it wants to be friends.
Surprisingly, the monster appears and Mabel approaches it. She touches its nose and the monster runs from her in fear. After a long chase, they become friends. This part is a little confusing because Mabel kept searching for the monster, but couldn’t find it. Then, it was there.
While this is a cute picture book and will certainly entertain young children, I would be a little apprehensive in introducing this book to a young child who is impressionable. If a child isn’t afraid of monsters lurking about his/her house, this book may trigger the imagination. Especially since in the end, Mabel does find a monster, even though he is friendly.
I’m a fan of a number of Sally O. Lee’s books. She creates imaginative and colorful illustrations that help engage the child. Is There a Monster Over There? is a book I’m just not sure about. I know my 4-year-old grandson is impressionable and I didn’t read it to him for that reason.
I think for this book parents and grandparents will have to use their own discretion.
Reviewed by Karen Cioffi
Author, Writer-for-Hire, Freelance Writer
Posts
I retweeted it!
ReplyDelete