A Beasty Story

by Bill Martin, Steven Kellogg (Illustrator)

A group of mice venture into a dark, dark woods where they find a dark brown house with a dark red stair leading past other dark colors to a spooky surprise. 50,000 first printing.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Monsters, Halloween, Humor, Storytime, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Bill Martin (born 1956) is a professor of Philosophy at DePaul University whose academic work concerns Derrida, Sartre, Marxist theory, Aesthetics, and critiques of Richard Rorty. Martin has also written on progressive rock bands including Yes

Reviews

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've used the story The Monster at the end of this Book you won't have time to do this story. This story works very well with two readers. One reads the large print at the top of the page and the other reads the converstaion bubbles.

After sharing this book, lead the group in an action song:
The Ghost in the House (to the tune The Wheels on the Bus)

The Ghost in the house goes "Boo, Boo, Boo" (flash hands)
The Steps in the house go "Creak, creak, creak" (make stepping motions)
The Cats in the house go "Meow, meow, meow" (hunch over, touching toes)
The Mice in the house go "Squeak, squeak, squeak" (make whiskers)
The Owls in the house go "Hoo, hoo, hoo" (make binocular eyes)
The Broom in the house goes "swish, swish, swish" (pretend to sweep)
The Witch in the house goes "Hee, hee, hee" (make witch hat with arms)
The Wizard in the house says "abracadbra" (wave wand)
The People in the house just "disappear" (snap fingers or cover face)

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, kids are introduced to four mice narrators who describe a dark colorful house where a beasty lives. They follow the beasty to another house where another monster lives and discover that it was just a prank done by two other mice. It is a very simple story but has great illustrations done by Steven Kellogg, which make the book awesome. Recommended for ages 3-7, 4 stars.

[Jennybug · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to my nephew Sawyer about 10 times. We both think that it is really fun. I plan on buying it to add to my halloween collection.

Vivian on Good Reads shared this fun idea to do after reading this book to children :

"After sharing this book, lead the group in an action song:
The Ghost in the House (to the tune The Wheels on the Bus)

The Ghost in the house goes "Boo, Boo, Boo" (flash hands)
The Steps in the house go "Creak, creak, creak" (make stepping motions)
The Cats in the house go "Meow, meow, meow" (hunch over, touching toes)
The Mice in the house go "Squeak, squeak, squeak" (make whiskers)
The Owls in the house go "Hoo, hoo, hoo" (make binocular eyes)
The Broom in the house goes "swish, swish, swish" (pretend to sweep)
The Witch in the house goes "Hee, hee, hee" (make witch hat with arms)
The Wizard in the house says "abracadbra" (wave wand)
The People in the house just "disappear" (snap fingers or cover face)(less)"

Thanks Vivian I can't wait to read this book and do this fun song with some cute little pre-schoolers.

[Laura Gabica]

A Beasty Story by Bill Martin Jr. has a repetitive rhythm and rhyming that helps to portray the mice who walk through the dark woods and end up finding a beast in a dark house. The story does a lot of emphasis on vowel sounds, which can be helpful for children just learning how to read. The book also lists off different colors and types of furniture with each illustration, which can be helpful for young children who are trying to learn these new words. I thought it was a really cute story book and I think it would be great to have in my classroom. It tells a story while providing repetition, which is so engaging for young readers and helps them to pick up on words more and build their vocabulary. The story itself is interesting too, because it gets a little scary as it talks about them going into dark woods and dark places and finding a beast. It keeps the reader interested because it is a little scary for younger readers.

[Consuelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Beasty Story" by Bill Martin Jr. is a tale that happens in "a dark, dark wood." It is a delightful story of four mice, Silly, Lily, Willy, and Nilly, who follow the arrows, "This way to the dark, dark woods." With candles in hand and each step further into the woods, they enter "a dark, dark house." They flee the purple cupboard in the cellar and chase a big, yellow-eyed ghost out of the house. The ghost flies into the woods and takes haven in a "even darker house" where a white beast rises." Large rhyming text and bubble captions are spread across the pages which mirror the large illustrations by Steven Kellogg. This is a funny and scary book that young children will enjoy again and again.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The classic tale of a dark, dark house in a dark, dark wood changed into a book about mice and colors. So it's scary and not scary at the same time.

Good for preschool storytime, okay for toddler storytime.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read with my son when he was in first grade.* Books illustrated by Steven Kellogg seem to have been a huge hit with my son during this time period. This was another fun book to read.

*He had to keep a reading log and I just found this when going through storage tubs.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like when the mice go down the bright red stairs and run after the beast. And go into a darker room where a boy sleeps and kills the beast. I like that I can read this book all by myself.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kindergarten teacher in me can't help but love this book. If you've ever read In the Dark, Dark, Wood (Storybox) you will find this fun book a wonderful edition to your K library.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Martin Quest #20
Well average tale of is it a beast?
What kind of beast is this beast?
What is going on?
Oh what a surprise?
And the crowd roars.
Anyway pretty average tale may amuse some less discerning young readers,

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kellogg's illustrations make the book. This would be fun to read to little ones who are just learning their colors.

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for storytime March 4, 2020.

[Mya Ross]

I’m not even going to rate this. It was a book from my childhood that I enjoyed, but I only read it to finish my reading goal for the year 😅

[Chelsey McDonagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an adult reader, I didn’t love this book, but my kids made me read it at least 20 times

[Madison Mcallister · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was little I read this book with my mom and it was one of the first books I absolutely loved! I was full of gorgeous art and colors that I was completely drawn to as a child. The main characters in the book or Protagonist are four mice Billy, Lilly, Willy and Nilly. As the book develops they're faced with a very mysterious Beast when they stumble upon a dark brown house in the woods. At this point in the story the strange beast serves as the Antagonist and sends the mice into a chase after it. It's not until the end of the story you discover it was only two friends of the mice Hank and Nick pulling a prank on them. However if you look to the inside cover and first page of the book the authors give allusion to the story's end. Over all it is a great children's book. It discreetly teaches kids colors while entertaining them with a fun and mystical story, closing everything off with a good laugh.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our 2 yr old loves this book...he loves the pictures, and the mice, and just about everything. I think it's great for learning shades of colors, and having great illustrations to look at. I would consider owning this one.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storyline is pretty simple, but the anticipation of seeing the "beast" from my 3 year old makes this a very fun book to read. We have had to read it several times a day this week. Fun story of a beast that comes from a bottle....with fun rhymes.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite October books...just a little scary, nicely shivery to read...one kids pick to read again and again...rhymes to notice...color words printed in the color...humor...captivating art...delightful in every way a picture book should be.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this as part of my scary stories storytime for Kindrgarten and first graders. The students loved hearing the story and helped the four little mice identify the different colors mentioned in the story.

[Rachel Rouleau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was weird but my two-year-old loved this "mousie book" for some reason, so we'll meet in the middle with three stars. Good for practicing colors because there is a prominent color featured on each page and you can ask your child to chime in to name it.

[Mikaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really great illustrations. But my kids weren't too interested in the story. They did like the names of the 4 mice brothers.

[jenna Hudrlik · Rating 4 out of 5]

we both thought this was a fun one to read together.

[Rose]

E Mar

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book. My daughter loves it.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute rhyming book with adorable little mice, good for preschoolers learning about colors, not too "beasty."

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

My four year old son picked out this book himself and he loves it.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to read to older pre schoolers. Might be scarey to 2's and 3's.
Teaches colors very interestingly and also numbers to some extent.

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a dark house lives a beast. Brave mice follow it home to find out that the Beasty wasn't real.

[Melissa Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The theme for today's story time was Monsters...

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good!