Hush, Little Monster: With Audio Recording

by Denis Markell, Melissa Iwai (Illustrator)

Overview

A classic lullaby gets a playfully spooky spin in this monstrously sweet picture book.

Hush, Little Monster, don’t you howl.
Daddy’s gonna give you a…screeching owl.
If that owl won’t say “whoo whoo”…
Granny Ghost will bring you a big, bad boo!
     A monster father softly sings his own version of a favorite lullaby to his son. A screeching owl, a vampire, an ogre, and zombies are just a few of the creatures who will come to soothe Little Monster through the night, until (when the sun comes up) it’s finally time for him to go to sleep. Parents and children alike will love this humorous twist on “Hush, Little Baby.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442441965
Publisher:	Little Simon
Publication date:	08/07/2012
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	22 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

Denis Markell has written everything from off-Broadway Musicals to Situation Comedies and even funny birthday cards for family members. This is his second book for children. It was inspired by singing “Hush, Little Baby” to his son every night. For years.  His fondest hope is that this will stop before his son goes to college. 

Melissa Iwai has illustrated numerous award winning books for children, including Good Night Engines and Wake Up Engines by Denise Dowling Mortensen, Snuggle Mountain by Lindsey Lane, and Soup Day, which she also wrote.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-K—This take on the classic "Hush, Little Baby" is full of monstrous details. Instead of a mockingbird that won't sing, it's a ghost that "won't cause a fright." The solution? A vampire "will stop by for a little bite!" The rhythm doesn't follow the original melody perfectly and thus this adaptation might need a few practice runs before being shared out loud. The endpapers are a garish checkerboard of creepy accessories, and the bland typeface doesn't enhance the retelling of this lullaby. However, the illustrations are full of bold colors and are just silly enough to keep the story from being too spooky for young children. Hush, Little Monster is ideal for pairing with other parodies like Michael Rex's The Runaway Mummy (Putnam, 2009).—Jenna Boles, Washington-Centerville Public Library, Centerville, OH

School Library Journal

A monster father attempts to appease his cranky child in a clever riff on the “Hush, Little Baby” lullaby. “Hush, Little Monster, don’t you howl./ Daddy’s gonna give you a.../ screeching owl./ If that owl won’t say ‘whoo whoo’.../ Granny Ghost will bring you a big, bad boo!” Iwai’s monster father, with his red bean-shaped nose and Groucho Marx eyebrows, wouldn’t be out of place on Sesame Street. These husband-and-wife collaborators score some very funny moments while delivering a sweetly ghoulish story about a guardian’s love for a child (horns and all). Ages 4–6. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

This husband-and-wife team tries their hand at a ghoulish version of a popular lullaby. Little Monster is not happy. Daddy Monster wants to make him feel better, and so begins an odd lullaby that attempts to soothe, humor or, at the very least, distract the young creature from his foul mood. For the most part the text scans as the father sings, "Hush, Little Monster, don't you howl. / Daddy's gonna give you a… / screeching owl. / If that owl won't say ‘whoo whoo'… / Granny Ghost will bring you a big, bad boo!" If Granny Ghost disappoints, a biting vampire, shedding wolfman, magic broom, sneezing ogre and invading zombies arrive on the scene, their antics continuing the rhyming song. Eventually Little Monster's temper improves as all end up in the graveyard to play. Illustrations in saturated colors--many greens, yellows and reds--both evoke Goodnight Moon and portray the raucous action, and the small trim invites intimate exploration. Still, the book has a necessarily ephemeral feel--it is just a seasonal bagatelle. Even though Little Monster eventually quiets down for a cozy night's sleep, this interpretation isn't the sweetest version in town. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews