5 Children's Books that Feature Monsters
Monsters are characters that only exist in literature, television and the movies. However, according to many children, these creatures also appear under the bed at night. This is a big part of why a lot of kids are afraid of the dark. Fortunately, there are many children’s books that can help little ones overcome their fears. Today, we’ll share 5 children’s books that feature monsters.
When your children read these books, they’ll discover that monsters are nothing more than a figment of their imaginations. What’s more, these books depict monsters in a more friendly and less threatening light.
No doubt, once your kids discover these titles, they’ll become a favorite part of their collection. Continue reading to find out more about these fantastic books.
Children’s books that feature monsters
1. The Color Monster, by Anna Llenas
The Color Monster has become one of the best-selling books in history. What’s more, it’s one of the best books for helping children understand and manage their emotions. The main character in this story has mixed up feelings, resulting in such a mess that it can’t put them back in their place.
This is a great book about monsters with a kind and noble protagonist that your children will fall in love with. What better than to use a friendly monster as a tool for emotional education.
At the same time, this book has been so successful that you can also find the pop-up version, as well as another title featuring the same character: The Color Monster Goes to School.
2. I Will Fight Monsters For You, by Santi Balmes
In this story, our main character, Martina, is afraid at night because she thinks there may be monsters under her bed. This is a normal fear that many children experience during childhood. And this is a great illustrated children’s book to help them get over this fear.
What’s surprising about this book is that, on the other side, lives Anitram (Martina backwards). Anitram is a pink-colored monster that has the same fears as Martina. In other words, she’s also afraid of what she might find under her bed at night: People.
This is a story that parents and children should read and discuss together. That way, children can express and combat their fears, especially their fear of the unknown.
3. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
No list of books that feature monsters would be complete without this classic piece of children’s literature. The book dates back to 1963 but continues to be a great success among young audiences. In fact, a cinematic version of this story came out on the big screen in 2009 .
The parents of the book’s main character, Max, send him to bed without dinner as punishment for his wild behavior. All of a sudden, Max’s room turns into a giant jungle… He’s entered the world where the wild things are.
The monsters accept Max as one of their own. In fact, they even choose him as king. However, there comes a time when Max starts to miss his parents and decides to go home. Through symbolism, this book depicts the different phases of anger, as well as the moment when things go back to normal.
This book sparked a great deal of criticism at the time of its initial publication. This is because, at that time, the figure of a rebellious child that talks back to his parents was considered unacceptable.
More children’s books that feature monsters
4. The Monster’s Monster, by Patrick McDonnel
This children’s book about monsters doesn’t have just one monster protagonist, but three! Each wants to be more abominable and scarier than the others. But, since they can’t manage to come to an agreement, they decide to build a monster that possesses all of the characteristics they desire.
But something strange happens when they build it, and the three monsters wind up with a big surprise. But we don’t want to ruin it for you! Don’t hesitate to get your hands on this simple and wonderfully illustrated book to enjoy with your family .
5. A Nightmare in My Closet, by Mercer Mayer
Originally published in 1982, Puffin Books put this book back on bookshelves with its 1992 reissue edition. This illustrated album offers a sampling of some of the most common childhood fears.
The problem comes when the monster in the book is just as afraid – or even more so – than the book’s main character. In a fun and gentle way, the story shows how to overcome these fears and face them bravely.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Llenas, A. (2012). El monstruo de colores. Editorial Flamboyant.
- Llenas, A. (2018). El monstruo de colores va al cole. Editorial Flamboyant.
- Balmes, S. (2011). Yo mataré monstruos por ti. Editorial Principal de libros.
- Sendank, M. (2014). Donde viven los monstruos. Kalandraka Editora.
- Mcdonnell, P. (2014). El monstruo de los monstruos. Editorial Océano.
- Mayer, M. (2004). Una pesadilla en mi armario. Kalandraka Editora.