Unlike Other Monsters

by Audrey Vernick, Colin Jack (Illustrations)

Zander is a monster. Monsters don't have friends. They prefer to scare children and eat their raisin bread alone. Then one day Zander meets a bird, and the unexpected happens. They start to spend time together, and Zander is reminded of how he's unlike other monsters. But does the fact they share secrets and hang out mean this is a fledgling friendship? And what will the other monsters think?

Award-winning author Audrey Vernick tackles the sometimes awkward but always exhilarating experience of making a new friend.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Monsters, Childrens, Birds, Storytime, Animals

48 pages, Hardcover

Published July 12, 2016

About the author

Audrey Vernick is the author of books for young readers.

Forthcoming titles:

When I Redraw the World, illustrated by Heather Fox

Homesick, written with Liz Garton Scanlon, illustrated by Daniel Miyares


www.audreyvernick.com

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another example of why we must not stop reading picture books to kids when they are older. UNLIKE OTHER MONSTERS speaks much more to upper elementary and middle school friendship issues than primary ones. Lots of opportunity for rich, important discussions here, but done with that distinct dash of humor and chutzpah we've come to know and love from Audrey Vernick's fictional picture books.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing itself was unique and clever. While the art was very cute, I wish the illustrations had more cohesion. They seemed more like a series of stills and less like a tool to forward the story. But the plotting was superb and both the main character and his plight engaging. This was a same old story told in a fresh way. The drawings did have a lot of emotion and the gestures were clear. Overall, a fun book about peer pressure and friendship.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny awkward friendship book, with a little monster who is not quite sure what friends are, but who ends up making a friend anyway. The kids thought it was a cute story.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute picture book. The surfing monster Zander is my spirit animal.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows how even a monster can want to be different and have a birdy friend that other monsters do not have. He wants to be different in so many ways and finally embraces it when the other monsters try to make fun of him for dressing, acting, and having a friend. Good read aloud and interesting discussion to follow.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

zander and his parents are monsters but his sister is a fairy. he didn't have any friends-just like the other monsters. he liked scrapbooking, raisin bread and scaring kids. what he loved the most however was surfing! 1 day zander sees a bird he didn't know what the bird wanted. eventually zander and the bird become friends.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored this book! It was such a cute story. Zander is a monster, but he's not like other monsters. He thinks long sentences and wants to have a friend. It was an easy read and just super cute. Definitely one to re-read again for another bedtime story!

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations look Disney-esque.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of friendship. (The rest of the book is worth overlooking the bizarre fact that Zander's sister is a fairy).

[Tracy Schillemore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a scary monster book. It is more of a book about finding a friend. This book could be used in a monster storytime or in a friendship storytime. The pictures are cute.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun! Good illustrations.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zander is a monster, as a rule monsters have no friends. When Zander meets a bird while surfing his entire outlook on what a friend is changes.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute look at the definition of friendship and how it can mean different things to different people.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zander didn't even know he wanted a friend - monsters don't really have friends -- until a friend found him!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pure delight. I enjoyed the unusual characters and setting. I wish more children's books thought outside of the box.

[Bailey Geise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vernick, A., & Jack, C. (2016). Unlike Other Monsters. Los Angeles: Disney Hyperion.

Zander is a monster and monsters don't have friends. His sister however, who happens to be a fairy, has lots of friends. When Zander meets a little birds who seems to want to be his friend, he doesn't know what to do so he goes to his sister for help. She tells him all of the things that her and her friends do together. When other monsters ask Zander if the bird is his friend, he says no because they do not do all the same things that his sister an her friends do together. But Zander begins to realize that he is really enjoying the birds company and that they share many interests. Maybe he does have a friend after all.

Activity: Have each students make a list of the things that they like to do with their friends. Then have the students move around the room and share their list with their classmates and find out what similarities they have. When they find someone that they feel they are similar to, have them pair up and and make a list of different things they could do together based on their interests. This could be a great way for them to meet new friends!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about looking outside your bubble. Zander is a monster who does monster things, until the day he notices a bird, and then they do monster things together, because let's face it: monster things are really for everyone. Presents the idea that friendship doesn't look the same for everyone, nor do we need to be friends only with people (or in this case, monsters) just like us.

The illustrations are very animated, colorful, and expressive. The story is a little awkward. The inclusion of a fairy sister seemed like it should mean something, but I wasn't sure what. I also thought it hiccuped the second time the monsters asked Zander whether he was friends with the bird. He never answered, and the book just kind of trailed off into his own thoughts.

Overall, though, a nice message with really cute illustrations. Today, I wish all the monsters out there would notice a bird. Get to know each other over a piece of raisin bread.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this so much, but I didn't love it. I wanted Zander to commit in the end--to give a definite "yes" or "no" (why?) about whether or not the bird was his friend, but instead we are left with a story-line that ducks the issue and just feels so wishy-washy. Meh.

The illustrations look like something out of a fun and cute animated movie. Liked those bunches. Liked how Zander's family is "mixed" (his sister is a fairy...which raised another question in my head: was she adopted? I really kind of wanted to know if some fairy mischief was involved here, c'mon, where did she come from?!)

Lots of interesting little bits scattered throughout: if you like scrabooking, you must be a monster. Ha! (I like raisin bread, so by the previous logic, you know what that makes me.)

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute picture book about friendship. Zander is a monster, and his parents and almost everyone around him is a monster. His sister is a fairy. Zander has a friendly relationship with a bird, but denies that they're friends. Kids will enjoy reading to find how Zander comes to terms with making a friend when it isn't in his nature to do so. Zander reminds me of my 4th and 5th grade students. They're at an age when they're deciding who they are and what kind of friendships they'll have and what it means to be a friend. I would love to have this book in my classroom library.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friendship story in which a monster goes against the norm and befriends a bird.

I like the coverage of the social worries Zander experiences. He's very concerned about what the other monsters think and he asks for advice on friendship from his friendly fairy of a sister, yet doesn't immediately put her words of wisdom into practice. The text is a little longer than I expected, which makes it tricky as a read aloud, but I like the use of repetition and lists that it utilizes in storytelling.

Photoshop artwork. PreK-2.

[Maeghan Nutmeg Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

... but, they are friends. The conclusion leads me to believe there should be a part that says "YES! They are friends."

... and that part never comes. Leaves the book feeling unfinished. Instead, it is kind of implied, but Zander never actually comes out and says it to the other monsters, so I feel like I'm missing part of the story. Weird feeling.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone knows monsters don't have friends, so there's no way Zander could have a bird as a friend. So even though they like to do things together and look forward to seeing each other every day, that doesn't mean they're friends.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

You've gotta love a book about cute monsters! A nice story of friendship with some most unusual characters. Nice use of endpapers. The bird in this story looks suspiciously like a red angry bird, it'll be interesting to see if children pick up on that.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable monster in a hoodie figures out what friendship is, even though monsters don't have friends. Ever. (But sometimes two monsters can produce a fairy, and *they* have friends, and can advise their brothers on the subject.)
The bird's facial expressions are amazing.

[Marg Corjay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who could not love a hoodie wearing blue monster that loves raisin bread? This book teaches that being true to your friends is important and having friends who are different is not a bad thing. The monsters are all super cute and very non-threatening. Kudos to author and illustrator!

[Casandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this twist on what it means to be a monster. I just wish he could have owned up to being a bit different...
Monsters
Individualism

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

friendship

[Miss Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little too long for storytime so preschool and up about a monster who make a new friend but has he really made a new friend? Monsters don't really have friends?

[Heydi Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute! I almost gave it four stars because the monster is named Zander...even though my kiddo is with an X. Loved the illustrations in this one. They remind me of 1960s Disney movies.