Monster in the Mattress, The / El monstruo en el colchón

by Diane de Anda, Josué González

Overview

Seven-year-old Rudi looks up to his big brother Tony, who isn’t afraid to sleep in the dark. Tony humors Rudi, allowing him a night light next to his bed in the room they share—especially after reading scary stories at bedtime. But when his bed starts shaking in the night, even brave Tony is sure a spooky creature has inhabited it. With their parents’ help, the boys discover the real monster in the mattress is furry and has long ears!

“It’s a mystery to me,” is a common refrain heard in the six stories included in this bilingual collection for young readers as children and their families are faced with odd mysteries in their daily lives. Abuela can’t understand why there are odd indentations in her flour container. But it all becomes clear when her grandchildren’s frog races feature very white frogs that are easily seen in the green grass! Ten-year-old Mario—or Mario the Magnificent—delights in doing magic shows for his family. But one trick goes inexplicably awry when Pinky the hamster really disappears during the finale!

Children take the lead in these amusing and entertaining stories as they try to solve mystifying puzzles that occur in day-to-day activities. The conundrums—frequently involving pets and loving family members—are sure to grab the interest of early readers, whether reading the stories on their own or in the warmth of their parents’ laps.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611925067
Publisher:	Arte Publico Press
Publication date:	04/30/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

DIANE DE ANDA is the author of several bilingual picture books, including The Patchwork Garden / Pedacitos de huerto and A Day without Sugar / Un día sin azúcar (Piñata Books, 2012), and two collections of short stories for young adults, The Immortal Rooster and Other Stories (Piñata Books, 1999) and The Ice Dove and Other Stories (Piñata Books, 1997).

A professor at UCLA for 30 years, she is the editor of The Journal of Multicultural Social Work and Controversial Issues in Multiculturalism. She has worked with children and teenagers for many years as a teacher and in community agencies. She conducts research and has written numerous articles on adolescent issues, focusing on Latino and multicultural adolescent populations. She is the author of Project Peace, a violence prevention program for middle and high school students. Her stories and poems have been published in a number of journals and magazines, including Ladies Home Journal, Saguaro, and El Grito.

De Anda was born and raised in a large extended Latino family in Los Angeles, where she continues to live with her family.