Hey, That’s MY Monster!
Written by Amanda Noll
Illustrated by Howard McWilliam
Flashlight Press   9/01/2016
978-1-936261-37-6
32 pages    Ages 5—7

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“When Ethan checks under his bed for his
monster, he finds this note instead:

So long, kid. Gotta go.
Someone needs me
more than you do.
—Gabe

“Ethan knows that the “someone” must be
his little sister Emma, who keeps climbing
out of bed to play.

“She obviously needs a monster to help her
get to sleep — but not HIS monster!
Will Ethan lose Gabe forever?

“In the spooky-silly tradition of I Need My Monster, here is another irresistible monster-under-the-bed story for all monster-loving kids. The perfect balance of giggles and shivers will keep you under your covers, and you’ll soon be sleeping soundly.” [INSIDE JACKET]

The Story
Ethan heads off to bed only to find a note from his under-the-bed monster, Gabe. Gabe left for a kid who needs him more than Ethan needs him. Ethen immediately knows this needy child is his sister, Emma. Ethan dashes into her room, dives for the bed, and pulls up his feet before Gabe can grab his toes—under-the-bed monsters love toes. Ethan wants Gabe back. Gabe gives Ethan three chances to find Emma her own monster. Emma is happily playing on the floor in her bedroom, not a bit sleepy. She bangs on a xylophone, runs around the room, and tosses toys here and there.
After teaching Emma the secret monster-signal, one by one three monsters attempt to put Emma to bed. One by one, they fail. Emma has no fear of monsters and actually enjoys them, even the multi-nosed blue monster with horrible nasal congestion. Not even Gabe’s throaty, thunderous orders “Get. Into. Bed,” put a scare into little Emma.

What will Gabe do about Emma and Ethan? Will Ethan ever get his monster-under-the-bed back?

Review
Hey, That’s My Monster makes an interesting bedtime tale. Emma is adorable. Her infectious energy, especially with the monsters, keeps anyone from scaring this hyperactive kid to bed. The monsters are most appealing. With their big expressive eyes to their various looks, they steal the story away from poor Ethan. Quite frankly, I did not care if he got Gabe back or not. The real action was in Emma’s reactions to each monster, as she played with their outgrown body parts. Emma’s room is scattered with toys, making the night scene brightly colored with loads of detail.
The twist was unexpected and works nicely, giving Ethan and Gabe something in common to keep those two together. The fun bedtime tale, Hey, That’s My Monster is filled with both gross and giggle moments, emphasis on giggle. Young children will love the monsters who try to scare Emma to sleep with their best moves, but Emma won’t be scared. Both children are nice role models for a child fearful of a monster-under-the-bed. If you like I Need My Monster, you will like Hey, That’s My Monster.
HEY, THAT’S MY MONSTER! Text and illustrations copyright © 2016 by Amanda Noll. Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Howard McWilliam. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Flashlight Press, Brooklyn, NY.

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Reprinted with permission from HEY, THAT’S MY MONSTER! © 2016 by Amanda Noll, Flashlight Press. Illustrations © 2016 by Howard McWilliam.

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Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

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Hey, That’s My Monster!
Written by Amanda Noll
Illustrated by Howard McWilliam
Flashlight Press 9/01/2016
9781936261376