Very Worst Monster

Monsters! Where? In the closet? Under the bed? There are Mom and Dad monsters, Sister and Baby Monsters. Monsters are everywhere at Squidoo and in childrens books.

All these monsters and the quests that they offer brought to mind some of my favorite books for children.

First and foremost on my best monster books list is The Very Worst Monster by Pat Hutchins. Next are the many Little Critter, There's a... and other monster books by Mercer Mayer. Though Mayer's, Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp is a very close second on my best monster books for children... hmmm, maybe even a tie for first.

Monsters can be fun. Monsters don't have to be just for Halloween. Enjoy a monster book with your child any day.

Pat Hutchins has written many delightful books for children, but my favorites are The Very Worst Monster and Where's the Baby?.

In the Very Worst Monster we meet Hazel, a little monster who has always been the very worst monster in town, that is until Baby Monster arrived. The book follows Hazel as she tries to "loose" her baby brother and even tries to give him away.

The sequel, Where's the Baby is another funny story about Hazel and her baby brother as he wreaks havoc on the house.

Hutchins takes sibling rivalry and the new baby and gives it a humorous twist. The illustrations are colorful and make the little monsters almost cute.

Folktale by Mercer Mayer

Being from Louisiana, where swamps and folktales abound, it's easy to understand why I'm such a fan of Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp. This folktale is sort of the Louisiana version of Little Red Riding Hood. Liza Lou is a fearless and clever little swamp girl who out wits the "monsters" of the swamp when they try to prevent her from completing her task.

Mercer Mayer's illustrations are wonderful and it is written in a humorous and easy to read style.

Mercer Mayer deals with the "There's a ..." fear that many children have by writing and illustrating several books with that theme, including There's a Nightmare in My Closet, There's an Alligator Under My Bed and There are Monsters Everywhere.

All are NOT scary at all and are good for bedtime read aloud time.

There are too many Little Critter and Just Me books to name them all, but each is endearing in its own way. Most deal with Little Critter and his family and experiences. There are also Little Critter and Little Monster alphabet and word books.

You won't be sorry if you introduce your child to Mercer Mayer's Little Critter.

Do you read "monster" books to your child? If so, which ones?

Mercer Mayer is a prolific author / illustrator of books for young children. A series of the Little Critter books are educational Phonics Beginning Readers that will help children practice their reading skills and have fun, too.