Monster and Boy: Monster's First Day of School

by Hannah Barnaby, Anoosha Syed (Illustrator)

Overview

Monster and Boy are back for another adventure! And this time the best friends are headed somewhere no monster has ventured before: school!

Ever since Monster (who sleeps under the bed) and Boy (who sleeps in the bed) met and became best friends, they've been spending their days playing together. But some days, Boy leaves and Monster is alone. Wanting to learn more about where his friend goes, Monster makes a plan to go with Boy to . . . school! There, Monster meets Boy's teacher and classmates, learns about cubbies and the sharing circle, and even helps solve a mystery when a pet hedgehog goes missing.

Told with a warm, cozy voice, Hannah Barnaby's story is brought to life with adorable two-color illustrations by Anoosha Syed. Filled with adventure and humor, Monster and Boy: Monster's First Day of School is a perfect chapter book for sharing with kids just aging out of picture books and for newly independent readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250821072
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	05/31/2022
Series:	Monster and Boy , #2
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	1,016,429
Product dimensions:	5.05(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.45(d)
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. Her first novel, Wonder Show, was a William C. Morris nominee. The author of Monster and Boy, illustrated by Anoosha Syed, 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 books for children, including I Am Perfectly Designed, written by Karamo Brown, and Monster and Boy, written by Hannah Barnaby.

Editorial Reviews

Garcia & Colette Go Exploring:

"The full-speed-ahead enthusiasm of Garcia and Colette is infectious. Telling one story well is enough of a challenge, but this book perfectly balances two stories and the characters within them, adding up to more than the sum." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Some of the Parts:

"Barnaby’s elegant, well-paced novel stands out from others examining the death of a loved one both for its understated writing and for its penetrating exploration of the outer limits of grief and guilt." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

The Wonder Show:

William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist
A Kirkus Best Teen Book of 2012

"Infused with nostalgia and affection, this celebration of the deliberately constructed self will hold readers in its spell from beginning to end." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

From the Publisher

05/28/2021

Gr 1–3—In this second entry in this early chapter book series, the lovable monster that lives under Boy's bed is lonely. Where does Boy go so often for so much of the day? When he hears about school, Monster decides that he, too, wants to go; he hates being alone and has discovered that he likes to learn thanks to Boy's many books, to which he frequently refers. The two need to hatch a plan to shrink Monster—just as Boy shrinks in the first book—so that he can fit in a backpack. Some ingenuity, a pair of binoculars, and a touch of Monster magic accomplish this task. Though he is discovered on the school bus, he is mistaken for a stuffed animal for show-and-tell. School is loud and exhausting; in short, Monster loves it! He even helps solve the case of the missing hedgehog. Later at home, he decides to stay small for a while…under the bed is so huge, and now he can snuggle with Boy in his bed. While many may be familiar with the terms nocturnal and diurnal, Monster is crepuscular—he is awake at the beginning and end of each day to accommodate Boy's schedule. Five of the 14 chapters appear on red paper and allow the narrator to step out of the story to address readers directly. Monster is a benevolent-looking large, round creature with a mop of hair on his head and two antlers. Boy has similar hair, light brown skin, and large round glasses. VERDICT Science, humor, and copious pen-and-ink cartoon illustrations make this a perfect choice for early chapter book readers.—Barbara Auerbach, Cairo P.L., NY

School Library Journal