BookWorm: I Need My Monster

I NEED MY MONSTER is about a boy named Ethan (yes, Ethan!) who's regular monster, Gabe, has gone fishing.  Ethan can't sleep without his monster, so he knocks on the floor for a substitute monster.  This begins a parade of monsters that Ethan dismisses one-by-one for not having a long enough tail, sharp enough claws - or (gasp) being a girl!  

The illustrations are so engaging in this book, that both (my) Ethan and I were totally drawn in from the very first moment.  Whenever we get a new book, I let Ethan look through it before we read it.  I love watching him take it all in - this book was no exception.  In first night, we read it three times, and he looked through it at least two or three more times on his own.  It is just so captivating!

The next night, we had friends over, and Ethan wanted to read the book again.  I knew that Ethan wasn't afraid of monsters, but I wasn't sure about his friend.  Would it give him nightmares? Would he now be afraid of the dark? I don't know why I worried these things about someone else's kid and not my own - ah, the strange inner workings of a mother's brain.  Well, let me tell you we ended up loaning the book to them for a night, and to this day neither of them has had any issues with monsters.

The book is not scary.  A couple of the monsters do look a bit frightening at first glance, but the text is quick to make light of their appearances.  It really is so cute.  And the story itself?  It's fun to read at bedtime snuggled up with your little loves - the prose is fun and witty and quite enjoyable for an adult to read.  I definitely recommend this book to the 4+ set.

Know what else I love about this book?  Online bonus activities.  Check out these adorable printable finger puppets or download these pages to color and cut to make your own monster!  Awesome, right? 

It is my pleasure to share with you a brief interview with the book's author, Amanda Noll.  She's a witty lady, with a wonderful sense of humor.  I think you'll get a kick out of some of her answers, especially on where the idea for this book came from!

How did you start writing children's books?

Sheer boredom was my motivating factor. I’ve always been a voracious reader, but it wasn’t until I had a job that required me to sit at a desk all day long (regardless of the amount of work) that I realized I was telling myself stories to pass the time.

When you meet kids, what do they want to know from you?

Often, they really want to tell me about their own writing and/or their own monsters. They’re also preoccupied by how old I am. When I do school presentations I always include photos of my siblings and photos of me as a child. Children love to hear about me when I was a child, just like them. They also love to hear about my own children, especially since they are the ones who tend to inspire my writing.

Where did the idea for I NEED MY MONSTER come from?

 It came from desperation. When my youngest son was an infant my 3 year old daughter wouldn’t stay in bed. I wished she would stop getting out. Yes, I wished she was afraid of monsters to keep her in bed. It’s not my finest parenting moment; I’m going to blame complete exhaustion from getting up with a fourth baby! 

No judgement here - hey, I wouldn't be above that method, if it worked... just sayin'

It was a happy day in my house when everyone started sleeping through the night. Fortunately, I still had plenty of other things to write about.

Oh, to sleep through the night.... What's next for you?

I have several picture book manuscripts that I would love to see in print. The recent downturn in the economy has made everyone (including publishing houses) more cautious. In the meantime, I am studying hard to finish my Master’s in Education. It doesn’t leave much time for writing fiction. I’m squirreling away my ideas for when I have time to write again!

Author Bio:

Amanda Noll is the author of I Need My Monster. Amanda’s writing ranges from picture books to young adult novels. She left the business world to attend to the business of raising children. Originally born and raised in Canberra, Australia she immigrated to the USA as a teen. She ended up settling in the Pacific Northwest where she currently lives with her husband and four children. She still checks under beds for monsters.

Visit Amanda Noll's Website

Visit I NEED MY MONSTER on Facebook!

Buy the Book at Amazon