Monster and Boy

by Hannah Barnaby, Anoosha Syed (Illustrator)

Overview

Fall in love with the friendship between Monster and Boy in this exciting new chapter book series from writer Hannah Barnaby and illustrator Anoosha Syed.

When Monster (who lives under the bed) meets Boy (who sleeps in the bed), Boy starts to scream—and Monster promptly swallows him. It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

Told with a warm, cozy voice, the story is brought to life with adorable two-color illustrations. Filled with adventure and humor, this chapter book is perfect for sharing with kids just aging out of picture books and for newly independent readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250217837
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	07/28/2020
Series:	Monster and Boy , #1
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	1,069,532
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Hannah Barnaby has worked as a children’s book editor, a bookseller, and a teacher of writing for children and young adults. She holds an MA in children’s literature from Simmons College and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College. Her first novel, Wonder Show, was a William C. Morris nominee. Hannah lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her family.

Anoosha Syed is a Pakistani-Canadian illustrator based in Toronto. She has a passion for creating cute characters with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion, and has illustrated many best-loved picture books, including Bug Girl, I Am Perfectly Designed and Bilal Cooks Daal. Anoosha also has worked as a freelance character designer, with studios that include Disney JR and Dreamworks TV.

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2020

“There’s no such thing as monsters,” a bespectacled boy’s mother tells him before bed. But the antlered creature who has lived under the bed for years knows that’s not true: “he knew the sound of the boy’s voice, and he loved that sound. He knew the smell of the boy’s dirty socks, and he loved that smell.” Emerging from beneath the bed for the first time, the monster panics when the boy opens his mouth to scream—doing “the only thing he could think of,” he swallows the child. At first distressed, the monster manages to cough up the now diminutive boy, and shenanigans ensue: the child is dropped into the toilet, the monster carries him around, and another monsterlike creature is discovered. Barnaby’s (Garcia & Colette Go Exploring) entertaining narration breaks the fourth wall—indicated by teal pages—encouraging readers to take an active part in the story, while Syed’s (I Am Perfectly Designed) bubbly monochromatic illustrations with teal embellishments add whimsy to this amusing story about an unlikely friendship. Ages 6–9. Author’s agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt. Illustrator’s agent: Taylor Martindale Kean, Full Circle Literary. (July)

Publishers Weekly

06/01/2020

Gr 1–3—One night, as a young boy goes to bed, he tells his mother that he is not afraid of monsters. The monster who lives under the bed hears the boy and decides to show him the error of his ways, but things go awry when the boy starts to scream and the monster accidentally swallows him. Together, the monster and the boy solve problems, journey through the house, and meet up with the boy's precocious little sister before finally falling asleep. Young readers will find friends in monster and boy. On most of the pages, Syed's silly and inviting illustrations are rendered in black, white, and teal and perfectly complement the duo's amusing antics. The first line of each chapter is in teal and a different font, which may be challenging for early readers, but the rest of the text is easy to read with plenty of white space. Barnaby directly addresses the reader a few times throughout the story, as well as changes tenses. Newly emergent readers may find this style choice challenging, but it could work well as a teaching tool for slightly older readers or in a read-aloud setting. Otherwise, the language is straightforward and the illustrations work in tandem to support the text. VERDICT This whimsical pair will be a hit with those looking for a playful, adventurous story for early independent chapter book readers. Most collections serving this age range will benefit from this addition.—Ellen Conlin, Naperville P.L., IL

School Library Journal

★ 2020-04-08
A boy discovers that monsters are real—and that one lives under his bed.

The monster and the boy—no names given—share a bedroom, but they have never met. The monster is nocturnal and has lived under the boy’s bed for many years; he knows the sound of the boy’s voice and loves the smell of his dirty socks. One night the boy’s mother reads her son a book about monsters, and she tells him that there is no such thing as monsters. Knowing this is untrue, the monster decides to introduce himself. Predictably, this doesn’t go as well as the monster expects, and when the boy screams, the monster swallows him in a panic. This is distressing for both the monster (who just lost his only friend) and the boy (who now finds himself trapped inside a stomach). Eventually the monster coughs the boy out—only to discover the boy is now grasshopper-sized. Humor ensues. In archly amusing fashion, the author breaks the fourth wall—this is marked by teal-colored page backgrounds—reassuring readers during potentially scary parts of the book, filling in background details, or collegially including them in aspects of the storytelling. Teal-flecked grayscale cartoons appear on almost every page, making this a solid choice for new independent readers. As depicted on the cover, the boy has tightly coiled brown curls and pink skin.

No need to be afraid of monsters after reading this sweet and unusual friendship story. (Fantasy. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews

"A boy discovers that monsters are real—and that one lives under his bed . . . Humor ensues . . . No need to be afraid of monsters after reading this sweet and unusual friendship story." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on Monster and Boy

From the Publisher