I thoroughly enjoyed The Monster in My Basement written and sung by David Preson, and illustrated by Heather Lynn Harris Charming, delightful, and joyous! Will David be the monster’s dinner guest or his dinner? Does the monster consider him a friend or food? Monsters can make great friends, right? Right?
I shared this entertaining book with my five-year-old grandson. He’s a hard nut to crack when it comes to books. He’d much prefer to be in motion. If he’s reading, his preferred topic is anything that goes vroom! He found The Monster in My Basement engaging and enjoyable.
The riotous story offered the added benefit of some valuable messages: be kind, help out at home, don’t pre-judge things, and choose to be brave. Harriss’s imaginative illustrations explode with color that reflects the romping energy of the story. David’s music drew my little one in so that we shared a fun and worthwhile read together. The repeating refrain enhanced the suspense and increased our engagement in the story. My little one could easily empathize with the hero’s fear of becoming the main entrée for the monster family. The “surprise” ending satisfied and pleased him. I highly recommend this book and sincerely hope this duo creates more books. The publisher provided me a review copy.
AQ Lens: This book has nothing to do with adoption but it does speak to the realities of being a child. Sometimes we have to face our fears, take a chance, and reach out to others. I appreciate the way the boy and the monster, although they come from very different worlds, they are able to bridge their differences and become friends. Learning to build relationship bridges, navigating different worlds, and being/feeling different from those around them are all issues with which adoptees regularly wrestle. They can see how monsters can make great friends. This book was darn good fun to read and it dramatized some important aspects of childhood. The publisher provided me a review copy.
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