A Child's Guide To Common Household Monsters

by James Otis Thach, David Udovic (Illustrator)

What's a girl to do when she realizes her house is full of monsters? She befriends them! This humorous and slightly spooky story in rhyme will delight any child who has ever suspected that monsters are roaming around the house.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction, Childrens, Monsters

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2007

Reviews

[Ralf Urbach]

Read this with my son and he loved it!! I enjoyed my interpretation of what the monsters really were and what my sons were. Great illustrations full of color and detail. interesting thing about this book is at certain points the reader has to turn the book to see the pictures correctly. Fun read and one of my favorites.(less)

[Sarah Brooks]

The story itself isn't bad, it's the execution I had some issue with. The book reads normally for the most part, but every few pages you have to flip the book to the side. There isn't a lot of verbage per page, mostly it's all about the visuals, so it's kind of irritating to flip the book to read a short sentance.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams]

I love how this book helps take the fear out of monsters for children. Thank you!

[Monster]

A Child’s Guide to Household Monsters is a cumulative tale about a little girl discovering that traditional household monsters she has been afraid of are not as scary as they seem. The monster under the bed, the monster in the closet, the monster in the attic, and the monster in the basement, are scared of one another, and she ends up befriending them all. Thach’s witty, rhyming couplets give Udovic plenty of opportunity to shape the tone of the book, resulting in an interesting juxtaposition. The artist uses bright, almost neon colors in places, that literally glow in the shadowy darkness of the pastel illustrations. The goofy looking monsters are endearing rather than frightening, making this a good book for children who appreciate shivery fun paired with a little gentle humor. Recommended. .

Review by Kirsten Kowalewski

[Juliette]

Unfortunately for our monster loving child, this book just wasn't scary enough for him, as a matter of fact it made the Monsterunderyourbed, the Closet Monster, the Attic Monster, and the Basement Monster seem sweet and innocent.
It didn't stop us from enjoying the book though, and for those children afraid of the above mentioned monsters, this is a book that could help them overcome their fear. Illustrations of the human is realistic, while the monsters are a little comical and there are some illustrations that will cause you to turn the book on it's end. Told in a rhyming rhythm, my son enjoyed saying the last word to every page.

[The Library Lady]

Fans of "There's A Nightmare In My Closet" will enjoy this one--though I like Mercer Meyer's monsters better.
The message is supposed to be reassuring, but I don't think I'd read this with any kid who already has monster fears, or you may be in for some very long nights!

[Melanie Hetrick]

A young girl introduces readers to the many monsters that she assures us are l ingering in all of our houses from attic to basement. Children will learn that these monsters are actually more afraid of us than we are of them.

[Charlene Avery]

This book is a hoot! Fantastic creativity by the author and the illustrator! I love the monsters don't look like others we've come across. Tiny spoiler...the hand holding really is the icing on the cake!

[Page]

So cute!

[Ita]

I found Thach from his funny reviews on Amazon and decided to read his books. The story was cute and arranged as an amusing poem, accompanied by charming pictures.