E.Gurnowski: Monster Picture Book Reviews

My absolute favorite books when I was little were books that had monsters in them because my cousins would always make me watch horror movies, which made me absolutely terrified of monsters. So, when I read stories about monsters and how they are just almost ordinary people with feelings I wouldn’t be as afraid of them anymore. So I felt it was only right to do my picture book reviews on monster themed stories.

Rex Adam (2008) Frankenstein Takes the Cake. Florida: Harcourt Publishing Company
There are so many different monster picture books, so for my first five I wanted some variety and I found one that I felt was out of the ordinary. Frankenstein Takes the Cake is something I haven’t really read before in a monster book. The story is about Frankenstein and his bride’s wedding day, as they go to his future in-law’s home to make arrangements for the wedding. While the happy bride-to-be is discussing what they are going to for the wedding her mother asks, “Are you inviting many monsters?”(Adam Rex, 7). After she tries to tell her mother that they aren’t dangerous at all, the book then goes into a series of poems about all of the monsters and people around them.

My favorite poems were about Frankenstein’s friend the Headless Horseman; Rex sets up the poems as an online journal. There is this one blog that stuck out to me, where the Headless horseman’s pumpkin head is starting to rot and he has to start looking for a new pumpkin for his head. From what I interpreted from the poem, I believe it is a message to embrace something new but holding on to what makes you unique and different (Adam Rex, 11-14).

Sendak Maurice (1963) Where the Wild Things Are. New York: Harper Collins Publishers

One of the most loved books of all time; this is my brother’s favorite childhood book and I even remember my mom reading it to us when we were younger. The book is about a young boy who causes mischief of couple of kinds, and gets sent to his room without his super because of his bad behavior. Once his mom calls him’ “Wild thing” he goes and travels in and out of time to place where the wild things are. While there he starts a rumpus with the wild things and grows tired of it all and becomes lonely, so he travels back home where his super is waiting for him.

The story to me refers to homes where children feel left out from their parents and want to get away, or even just get more attention from their loved ones. Max causes mischief as a way to get attention but just ends up in trouble and then travels to a world where he is surrounded by wild things just like him that love him for the way he is and even make him king of the wild things.

Mayer Mercer (1968) There’s a Nightmare in My Closet. New York: The Penguin Group

It is one story that we have gone over in class but I like how the over theme fit into my reviews. This story is about a boy that knows there is a monster [nightmare] hiding in his closet, so one night he decides to take care of his nightmare once and for all! When he confronts his monster he sees the monster’s softer side and comforts him and apologizes for shooting him. At the end of the story the little boy welcomes the monster into his bed and even tucks him in.

Mayer Mercer (1988) There’s Something in My Attic. New York: The Penguin Group

This story is very similar to There’s a Nightmare in My Closet, but this story is about a little girl who knows there something in her attic. She goes and tries to tell her parents but they don’t believe her, so she decides to go and catch whatever is up in her attic. She lassos the monster and drags it down from the attic to show her parents, once she turns the lights on in her parents room the monster escapes. So she is sent to bed, a little angry but determined to try to do it again tomorrow night.

I was really intrigued by the illustrations in these two books, because the little boy is afraid of the nightmare; however he never goes to his parents for help. The little girl in a similar story feels like she needs to prove to her parents that there is a monster in the attic. The little is more aware of his parents sleeping and the little girl is willing to wake everyone up and show what she has accomplished, almost like she has to. It really bothered me the gender difference in these two books and as I keep looking into the pictures and the text in general, I really that it is showing the little boy as a more stable level headed individual.

Mayer Mercer (1987) There’s an Alligator Under My Bed. New York: The Penguin Group

After reading the first two stories by this author I wanted to look into more of Mayer’s work so I was able to come across this story. Again, it is about a little boy who knows there is an alligator under his bed, but every time he wants his parents to check it out they can never find anything there. So he takes matters in his own hands and sets up a line of food to the garage to lure the alligator out of his room. The plan works and he is able to sleep in peace, and doesn’t forget to leave a note for his Dad so that he won’t be terrified in the morning.

I didn’t think this story was as ‘gender bias’ as the other two, however it is still a little boy taking matters in his own hands and solving the problem without proving anything, just leaving a cautionary note. It could be that I was so thrown off by There’s Something in My Attic because I felt it was a poor representation of strong little girls, because she seemed more hostile to lasso her monster instead of setting up a trap to lure him out of the attic or even make friends with the monster after being violent. For my next five books I am going to look into more Mercer Mayer books hopefully to see more trends of gender.