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Monster & me
Monster Needs a Costume
It’s almost Halloween, and Monster needs to decide what he’s going to be. With so many options — a fireman, a ballerina, a cowboy, a ninja—how will he ever decide? In this playful, rhyming story, Monster shows young readers that sometimes being creative and daring to try something new are the best solutions.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
September 26, 2017
Have a young child who does not know what s/he wants to be for Halloween? This might be the book that helps narrow done the possibilities.
October 20, 2015
Monster can’t decide what to be for Halloween. He thinks of one thing and then another. From cowboys...
”I want to be a cowboy from the West.
And rope some desperados, with a star upon my chest!”
He rushed to find his badge and boots but needed more than that.
We made his costume perfect with a twenty-gallon hat!”
To ninjas to...jump in and see what Monster wants to be!
This book had everything I needed to lift my Halloween spirits.
--Big, clear colorful pictures with big smiles and fun details.
--Easy words and new words to learn all put to a rhyming rhythm.
--Friends at play
--Imagination and creativity
--And the perfect costume!
Monster’s final costume pick captured the all-hopped-up-on-candy jumping joy of Halloween! We can be anything we want on Halloween night.
Highly recommended.
October 31, 2022
Sweet Halloween reading
August 21, 2015
Kids love Halloween! Monster reminds me of when my kids were little... hopping from one toy, costume, or activity to the next, never getting enough of playtime and always changing their minds. I adore the fact that Monster explores everything; nothing is gender specific and Monster appeals to all kids. Paul Czajak rocks the rhyming scene and Wendy Grieb's illustrations are adventurous and colorful.
October 26, 2015
Monster Makes choosing a Halloween costume creative. He won't go as himself but finally chooses a unique one. Rhyming and character driven story. Cute illustrations and not so scary Monster with his antics.
October 22, 2014
If only I could use stories about Halloween in storytimes, I would definitely use this one! Monster can't decide which costume to wear for Halloween. The first one he picks, he wears for a week and then discards. He does the same for the second and third ones. Then he finally decides to mix them all together for the perfect costume ever!
Good for preschool storytimes.
Good for preschool storytimes.
September 23, 2013
I completely loved this book! It is a brilliantly illustrated and written story about individuality and discovery. Don't regard this as simply a Halloween book; it may be about a monster and dress-up, but it is a fantastic book for any time of year.
October 26, 2013
This picture book is the perfect read-aloud with expressive pictures, excellent rhyming text, and lots of great vocabulary (my favorite = "raucous"). If it doesn't make you laugh out loud then your funny bone is broken.
November 1, 2013
Quite adorable; I love that he wears a tutu when he decides to be a ballet dancer. I read this for three halloween storytimes and the kids didn't quite seem to get the end. I'm not sure if that was because they couldn't clearly see the illustrations or because it just went over their heads.
January 13, 2014
This Halloween book is the story of a monster who doesn't know what he wants to be for Halloween and keeps changing his mind as he gets inspired by the world around him. In the end, still unable to make a decision, he combines all his costumes together for something truly unique.
December 4, 2015
Bright colorful little story about a monster trying to decide on the perfect Halloween costume, which we all know can be tough business. This isn't a story that you feel the life lesson screaming out, it does cover letting ones imagination shine, you can be what YOU want to be on Halloween.
September 19, 2013
I adore this book. Monster needs a costume for Halloween, but nothing is quite right. Told in rhyming text with great illustrations, this is a must-add-to-my-collection of Halloween books.
September 22, 2013
Takes me back to the days when my little one changed costume ideas for Halloween seemingly each day. Little monster hits on the perfect solution in the end. Fun!
September 23, 2013
Dancing cowboy ninja is just perfect for this crazy fun Halloween book.
October 17, 2023
Story Time Book: Such a cute book!
September 21, 2017
Such a fun book that I'm betting many parents...and kids...will relate to...!
November 3, 2018
Has picking a Halloween costume ever caused you grief? Monster feels you. He can't decide if he wants to be an astronaut, a cowboy, a Bartlett pear? Every time he chooses one, he eventually tires of it. And by trick-or-treating night, Monster has turned into a grouch--until his human friend suggests a mash-up that can't be beat! Adorable illustrations and story, perfect for the spookiest night of the year.
June 10, 2016
[Begin by reading the title.] Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak. On the cover, I see that Monster has dressed up as many different things. I see a firefighter, a ballerina, and an astronaut. This really reminds me of my problem around Halloween: deciding what to wear! I have to decide among a pirate, an M&M, or an ogre. We can only dress in one costume, so I always have a difficult time choosing just one costume. Quickly share one or two costume ideas you have for Halloween. Even if you do not participate in Halloween, share one or two costumes you have seen your friends dress up in. [Students do a quick share.] Before I begin reading, I would like to show you the first three pages of the book. On this first page [open to the first page], I see Halloween decorations and brightly colored leaves being blown in the wind. I can see the excitement on Monster’s face. The page has mostly orange and black on it. Many people associate black and orange with Halloween. [Turn the page.] Here, I see three different costume ideas Monster has. Can you identify them? [Point to each one. Students identify the three different costumes.] Here is the page I really want you to notice. [Turn the page.] What do you see that is different about these pages? [Students respond.] When I see a sudden change in color, that tells me something in the story is different. Black and white are usually used to show the past, a thought, or a dream. Monster is thinking up different costumes he would like to try on, so I am pretty sure he is thinking about what he would look like as a real cowboy. He has quite an imagination! Just look at the Wild West details! As I continue reading, I want you to notice the other times the color suddenly changes to show Monster’s thinking.
For the opening moves on this text, I began with a personal connection with the text. I stated my own indecision of choosing a costume, then I invited the students to share different costumes they were thinking of. Afterwards, I really wanted the students to notice the craft of the illustrator. I did a think-aloud to draw in my own experience with the sudden change of color.
As soon as children hear about Halloween, they start thinking about costumes; so I decided a book with decision-making would be a great second book to the set. The book also has a monster as a main character, which the students this set is aimed for would enjoy.
Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (2006). Engaging readers in thinking and talking about texts through interactive read aloud. Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing about reading, k-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing.
For the opening moves on this text, I began with a personal connection with the text. I stated my own indecision of choosing a costume, then I invited the students to share different costumes they were thinking of. Afterwards, I really wanted the students to notice the craft of the illustrator. I did a think-aloud to draw in my own experience with the sudden change of color.
As soon as children hear about Halloween, they start thinking about costumes; so I decided a book with decision-making would be a great second book to the set. The book also has a monster as a main character, which the students this set is aimed for would enjoy.
Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (2006). Engaging readers in thinking and talking about texts through interactive read aloud. Teaching for comprehending and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing about reading, k-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing.
February 11, 2017
I think there is a little bit of Monster is all of us. Monster has a difficult time with options: he gets a bit over excited with all the options that are available to him, how to choose among all the options and then committing to his choice. I read this story to a couple of my classes this week and they really enjoyed it. They begged me to read it again and they laughed and laughed at the illustrations. I love seeing this kind of excitement over a storybook. In this rhyming story, Monster is having hard time deciding what costume to wear this year for Halloween. With Halloween just around the corner, he tries a couple options but after wearing the costume for a while he changes his mind and he moves on to another option. Oh, they are all great options for a big blue monster with horns and sharp teeth. I especially like monster as a dancer, he was definitely cute with his tutu on, doing all his dance moves on the kitchen floor, unfortunately that didn’t end too well for monster. The pictures are comical and the colors are bright and outstanding which brings this children’s book to life. The boy in the story tries to help monster as best as he can. In the end, monster makes the best costume ever as the boy and monster head out the door for a night or trick-or-treating
October 8, 2013
This was a cute Halloween story about a monster who has trouble deciding on what costume to wear...a dilemma familiar to many parents. I really enjoyed the story, and the conclusion, and I think my kids loved it as well. The pictures are very vivid and add to the comedy (although the little boy who's in charge of Monster seems to be very sympathetic to him).
I have one persnickety problem with it, which is that Monster is obviously a boy in the story, but when he wants to be a ballet dancer, he is dressed as a girl ballerina with a pink tutu. My problem is not with any gender-bending, but with the fact that this completely ignores the fact that boys can be ballet dancers, too! And when boys and men dance, they dress differently from girls and women, and to be a ballet dancer does not just mean to wear a pink tutu. Ok, that's the end of my rant.
Monster Needs a Costume is a great Halloween story, and you should enjoy it with your kids as soon as you can get your hands on it at the library.
I have one persnickety problem with it, which is that Monster is obviously a boy in the story, but when he wants to be a ballet dancer, he is dressed as a girl ballerina with a pink tutu. My problem is not with any gender-bending, but with the fact that this completely ignores the fact that boys can be ballet dancers, too! And when boys and men dance, they dress differently from girls and women, and to be a ballet dancer does not just mean to wear a pink tutu. Ok, that's the end of my rant.
Monster Needs a Costume is a great Halloween story, and you should enjoy it with your kids as soon as you can get your hands on it at the library.
March 25, 2016
"Monster Needs a Costume" is a great rhyming book for young children. The book is about a monster who needs to decide what costume he wants to wear for Halloween. The monster has a little boy as a friend. He wears a costume everyday of the week because the monster is so excited. Everyday he decides to be something else.
This book would be considered fantasy because it does involve animals that are doing things a human would. The format of the font is very interesting. It changes on each page. They are scattered across the pages and never seem too organize. It helps catch readers attention, but does not distract the reader. The pictures are detailed when it comes to the costume the monster is wearing. The background of each illustration is simple and helps the reader focus on the costume.
This book would be considered fantasy because it does involve animals that are doing things a human would. The format of the font is very interesting. It changes on each page. They are scattered across the pages and never seem too organize. It helps catch readers attention, but does not distract the reader. The pictures are detailed when it comes to the costume the monster is wearing. The background of each illustration is simple and helps the reader focus on the costume.
November 24, 2013
This is adorable. Monster's looks remind me of Sully of Monsters, Inc., and like Sully, he could be big and scary but instead he's warm, fun, funny, and lovable. Just like a real child, Monster sets his mind on a costume and delights in wearing it everyday, everywhere. And then changes his mind. And we're on to the next obsession. When no one costume appears to be the one true costume, Monster has an inspiration which I thought divine. The rhyming text is fun to read in a sing-song voice and the pictures are great fun. I plan on reading this aloud for my Halloween story time every year. Highly recommended.
October 26, 2015
The storytime kids (aged 0-4) responded well to this one. The illustrations are funny, and they gave an opportunity for some predictions about what the text was going to say. The ending was funny, and the kids seemed to like the idea of mixing up costumes to create something new. I paired it with Monster Needs a Party, and the kids liked seeing the same characters in different books and in different situations.
November 5, 2013
It's monster's favorite time of year: Halloween! But what's his costume going to be? Hmmm... How about a cowboy? Yes... Wait, maybe not. How about a dancer? Yes! Uhhhh... no. Wait, I got it! A ninja! Yeah, that's it! He changed his mind again! What now?
A fantastic story for a storytime. The kids will howl along with you when Monster finally makes up his mind.
A fantastic story for a storytime. The kids will howl along with you when Monster finally makes up his mind.
September 23, 2015
Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak and Illustrated by Wendy Crieb is a cute and entertaining book about a boy and his friend Monster. Monsters favorite holiday is approaching and he is in need of a great costume the adventure of the two pals is funny and adorable. It is a great read for the kids!
September 24, 2015
We really loved this little book. The illustrations are beautiful, and it addresses the indecision we have every year to decide what we'll be for Halloween, and how we try out our costumes way before the feast day, only to end up doing something completely different and totally ours the day of.
A fun read, and it didn't ascribe to gender norms which I loved.
A fun read, and it didn't ascribe to gender norms which I loved.
January 23, 2017
A great rhyming picture book with spectacular drawings! The pictures are comical and the colors are bright and outstanding which brings this children’s book to life. This book handles the conundrum that has plagued many a child and parent as Halloween approaches and provides a lovely, creative solution at the end! My toddler thoroughly enjoyed it!!
October 2, 2013
I want to like this more. The premise is promising and the cover is as well. I just wasn't a fan of the uber digital painting and the rhyming did not serve the text well. The overall story, however, was decent.
July 21, 2016
This was the first I have read from this author and I anticipate we will read more. This was so cute with clever illustrations. All of my girls loved it. As an added bonus, there were no gender stereotypes. Very cool to have that subtly be a part of things. Love it.
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March 20, 2017Daddy read this to me one night, then I asked Mama to read it to me the next night.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews