Poor Monty

by Anne Fine, Clara Vulliamy

Monty's mother is a doctor, a very busy doctor. When she manages to snatch a few moments rest after a hectic day at work, she finds that her own small son is not feeling well.

32 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1991

About the author

Though readers often find themselves inadvertently laughing aloud as they read Anne Fine's novels, as she herself admits, "a lot of my work, even for fairly young readers, raises serious social issues. Growing up is a long and confusing business. I try to show that the battle through the chaos is worthwhile and can, at times, be seen as very funny." In 1994, this unique combination of humour and realism inspired the hit movie MRS. DOUBTFIRE, based on Anne's novel MADAME DOUBTFIRE and starring the late comedic genius Robin Williams.

Anne is best known in her home country, England, as a writer principally for children, but over the years she has also written eight novels for adult readers. Seven of these she describes as black - or sour - comedies, and the first, THE KILLJOY, simply as "dead black". These novels have proved great favourites with reading groups, causing readers to squirm with mingled horror and delight as she peels away the layers in all too familiar family relationships, exposing the tangled threads and conflicts beneath. (It's perhaps not surprising that Anne has openly expressed astonishment at the fact that murder in the domestic setting is not even more common.)

Anne has written more than sixty books for children and young people. Amongst numerous other awards, she is twice winner of both the Carnegie Medal, Britain's most prestigious children's book award, and the Whitbread Award. Twice chosen as Children's Author of the Year in the British Book Awards, Anne Fine was also the first novelist to be honoured as Children's Laureate in the United Kingdom. In 2003, Anne became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an OBE. Her work has been translated into forty five languages.

Anne Fine lives in the north of England and has two grown up daughters.

Reviews

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used for a kindergarten story time on community helpers. 5/1/13

Used for class visit doing health/hospital theme. I like the fact that the mother is a doctor and that mothers get tired and don't always listen the first time, second time, but eventually do. The PreK 3's found this short. 2/10!$

I had 5 minutes left with the PreK - 4s so read this too them also.

Used for Story Time. 12/22/14

My PreK 3's took a little while to settle down with this this year.

[Rosalyn Davey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the version illustrated by Clara Vulliamy, the pictures are good, definitely have the potential to raise questions when shared with children.

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 2 out of 5]

Open Library.