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Beloved author Jane Yolen scares up a new rhyming read-aloud about the snarfing, growling, snoring way that monsters go to bed.
Creep, gurgle, crawl, tumble! Meet two young monsters who are far from scary - they’re too busy having fun. They go to school, play outside with their friends, and eat after-school snacks. But they also have a bedtime, whether or not they’re ready for it! Young children and parents alike will find much to identify with as they follow these lovable little monsters getting ready for bed. With wildly colorful illustrations full of whimsy and warmth, Kelly Murphy brings Jane Yolen’s gently rhyming tale to rambunctious life.
This brief lullaby-story provides just-right toddler-sized chills.
The action begins at 3:00 as school lets out. Yolen describes it all in rhyme with spare sentences and phrases: "Monsters creep, / Monsters crawl // Over the meadow / And up the wall." Murphy chooses a muted palette to illustrate the motley bunch of innocuous creatures sporting a horn or two, various numbers of eyes, an occasional tail or tufts of fur. Preschool monster fans are sure to pore over and giggle at Murphy's droll, detailed paintings executed in a mix of oil, acrylic and gel. They will also easily relate to the depicted routine of coming home, eating dinner, taking a bath and getting into bed, and they will be charmed rather than spooked as the text's gentle cadence begins to work a calming magic. But the monsters show a last burst of energy—of course—as they "toss and turn and bounce" before finally snuggling in for the night. Silly going-to-sleep sounds such as "Growl / Gurgle / Burp" gently bring this soon-to-be popular book to an end.
There's plenty in this scary-sweet book to please children all year round. (Picture book. 2-4)
Jane Yolen is the author of more than 300 books for children and young adults, including the Caldecott-winning Owl Moon and the New York Times best-selling How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? With Candlewick, she is the editor of three collections of poems for children: Switching on the Moon: A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems; Here’s a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry; and This Little Piggy: Lap Songs, Finger Plays, Clapping Games, and Pantomime Rhymes. She divides her time between Massachusetts and Scotland.
Kelly Murphy is the illustrator of Loony Little: An Environmental Tale. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
Overview
Beloved author Jane Yolen scares up a new rhyming read-aloud about the snarfing, growling, snoring way that monsters go to bed.
Creep, gurgle, crawl, tumble! Meet two young monsters who are far from scary - they’re too busy having fun. They go to school, play outside with their friends, and eat after-school snacks. But they also have a bedtime, whether or not they’re ready for it! Young children and parents alike will find much to identify with as they follow these lovable ...