When a Monster Is Born - Hardcover

Taylor, Sean

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1596432543 ISBN 13: 9781596432543

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2007

Synopsis

When a monster is born, there are two possibilities... each episode in this comical story presents a choice between absurd alternatives ("Either it sits quietly and does its homework . . . or it eats the Principal"), followed by an equally absurd--and frequently unexpected-- outcome ("If it sites quietly, that's that. But if it eats the Principal, there are two possibilities..."). A subversive and satisfying take on "What if . . . ?" illustrated in bright pick-me-up colors, When a Monster is Born will have readers imagining unlikely stories of their own--and laughing out loud.

About this title

About the Author

Sean Taylor is a graduate of Cambridge University and has worked as a publisher, journalist, and teacher. He has lived in Zimbabwe and Brazil, from where he has just returned to his native England.

Nick Sharrat has illustrated many books for children, including the bestselling novels of Jacqueline Wilson. He lives in London.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—Fittingly, this book's large size, dramatic black backgrounds, and bold colors leap off the page at readers, just like a monster jumping out of a closet. Based on a traditional Brazilian poem, the story looks at the many possibilities created by the birth of a monster: "either it's a faraway-in-the-forests monster, or...it's an under-your-bed monster." For each set of choices there is a dead-end option ("If it eats you, that's that."), and an option that leads to two more possibilities. Following a series of wild twists, in which a principal is eaten and a kitchen girl dumps porridge on a monster's head, the tale comes full circle to the birth of a new monster and the original set of possibilities. Bright colors and a wild variety of fonts burst out from each page, and the potential scariness of the monster is tempered by its round body, buck teeth, and fuzzy hair. Various colors, textured fabrics, and other materials fill in the cartoon line drawings. Tiny leaves create the bushes and grass, the monster's hair is full of swirls, and the porridge contains lumps. With its zany humor, skillful timing of page turns, and over-the-top story line, this is an engaging tale that children will respond to and request again and again.—Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR
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About this edition

• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1596432543
• ISBN 13: 9781596432543
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Sharratt Nick