I need my monster by Amanda Noll, illustrated by Howard McWilliam

I glanced at a couple reviews of this and thought
1. I don't need any more bedtime stories
2. I don't need any more friendly monster stories
3. I really don't like digital art.

Then, I started hearing more buzz about it and when I saw it at my neighboring library, decided I would take a look. Sara The Librarian and I tend to buy different things, so we check out each other's collections to see what we're missing.

And I loved it. The illustrations aren't the lifeless, flat "art" I've seen before - they glow with life and color and perfectly express the dark night, full of imagination. And the story is perfect, not soppy or cliched. This is a new and exuberant riff on an old idea. I can't wait to add it to my collection and pass it out to the kids who want a "really scary" picturebook.

Verdict: Perfect for kids who like shivers with their bedtime stories. Highly recommended.


ISBN: 978-0979974625; Published April 2009 by Flashlight Press; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library