Meet Monster: The First Big Monster Book

by Ellen Blance, Ann Cook, Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

Monster is curious about making friends, finding a home, and exploring his city. This book collects six Monster stories—written by educators Ellen Blance and Ann Cook, who worked with children to write the books—brought to life by Quentin Blake’s charming illustrations.

Have you met Monster? He’s not scary or mean like other monsters. He’s kind of tall and his head is skinny, and he’s purple. He’s curious about everything: the city, the river, houses, cars, trains, and what people look like, the park, the kids, the swings, the stores and clothes and stuff. It is all new to him. “Monster thinks the city is fine so he thinks he will live here.” So begins the story of gentle, playful Monster, who conducts himself with grace and courtesy, and in short order finds a home, a best friend, and a bunch of kids to play with.

First introduced in 1973, Monster returns in this omnibus edition of the first six stories of an extended emerging-reader series written not only for children, but also by them. Educators Ellen Blance and Ann Cook worked with schoolchildren to write stories a child would want, and be able, to read. While most children’s books are meant to be read by adults to children, these are stories children can read to themselves or to adults. The book includes illustrations by the illustrious Quentin Blake, and a new letter to children (and one to parents) by the authors.

Genres: Childrens

160 pages, Hardcover

First published March 23, 2020

About the author

Ellen Blance grew up in the northeast of England. She moved to London in 1964 and attended the University of London in order to study alternative methods of developing language and reading skills for children. In 1970 she was invited to work with New York City teachers. She taught classes at the New School and at City College. Ellen joined the staff at Bank Street College where she worked on the desegregation of the Stamford, Connecticut, schools. She also worked with teachers in Mamaroneck and Rye Brook, New York. Now retired, Ellen spends some time in New York City and Connecticut schools reading the Monster books and talking about writing to enthusiastic young writers.

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess when I downloaded this book on kindle it automatically was added on Goodreads. My 6 yo wanted to read the book and it is very comparable to Danny and the Dinosaur. Good first grade reading or it was for my daughter. She loved it.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the early 1970s, educators Ellen Blance and Ann Cook interviewed children about a range of topics, then wrote a story for beginning readers, using the children’s own vocabulary. Illustrated by the great Quentin Blake, six interconnected stories focus on the purple, humoid-shaped Monster, beginning with moving to a new town: Monster . . . Comes to the City, Looks for a House, Cleans His House, Looks for a Friend, Meets Lady Monster, and the Magic Umbrella—imitating the way a child’s world grows from self to home to others.

The story is designed as much for children to read to themselves as it is for children to read to adults.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.