Children have imaginations that are larger than life, and really that is a beautiful thing. I love how they appreciate every wonderful detail of the world around them, yet still delight in imagining up fantastic additions. It’s a magical balance.
However, things can go a bit awry when their imagination can lead to them being afraid of things they don’t need to be, such as a monster under their bed. Below I’ve put together some books that put monsters in a positive, friendly light. You know, where they either don’t look too scary or they look outright adorable and they are wanted instead of feared.
In fact, most of them even have the setting of bedtime. Perfect for easing some bedtime fears or for a fun giggle or two before sleeping. Because, let’s face it, sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. And whether your child is afraid of monsters or not, a smile is always a welcome thing.
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Monsters Go Night-Night by Aaron Zenz- Did you know that monsters like to cuddle tubas when they sleep? Or that they take chocolate pudding baths before bed? Learn all that and more in this book all about monster bedtime routines!
Go to Sleep Monster! by Kevin Cornell- This delightful story is about a little boy who can’t sleep because of the monster under his bed, but the monster under his bed can’t sleep because of the monster under the floor. In the end, he and his sister decide to get to the bottom of things and find the monster at the center of the earth causing all the trouble. (And simply because he is lonely.)
Monster Trouble by Lane Fredrickson and Michael Robertson- Winifred is a little girl who is not afraid of anything. However, even though she isn’t afraid of the monsters that come every night, she is incredibly annoyed by them. She tries everything she can think of until she learns the secret to making them go away. It is a delightful one that isn’t quite what you would expect.
Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly- This book isn’t centered around bedtime, but I still think it is perfect for this list and so entertaining. It slowly introduces a green monster through cut-out pages that progressively show more of the monster, until bit-by-bit you tell the monster to go away and it progressively disappears. I love how it gives the child a sense of control over the monster.
I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll and Howard McWilliam- In this story the little boy can’t go to sleep because his monster ISN’T there. Other monsters come to apply for the job of being his monster, but it just isn’t the same. He misses the comfort and familiarity of the scare tactics of his own monster.
If Your Monster Won’t Go to Bed by Denise Vega and Zacharia OHora- This book is a party! The text is meant to look like handwriting from a personal handbook that someone made you on how to help your monster go to sleep. The advice ranges from silly to sillier and is a new favorite over here!
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