Awards

• Winner of California Young Reader Medal (Primary) 2012
• Winner of Georgia Children's Book Award (Picture Storybook) 2012
• Winner of Nevada Young Readers' Award (Picture Book) 2012
• Winner of Virginia Readers Choice Award (Primary) 2013

Overview

"A unique monster-under-the-bed story with the perfect balance of giggles and shivers, this picture book relies on the power of humor over fear, appeals to a childs love for creatures both alarming and absurd, and glorifies the scope of a childs imagination. One night, when Ethan checks under his bed for his monster, Gabe, he finds a note from him instead: ""Gone fishing. Back in a week."" Ethan knows that without Gabes familiar nightly scares he doesn't stand a chance of getting to sleep, so Ethan interviews potential substitutes to see if they've got the right equipment for the jobpointy teeth, sharp claws, and a long tailbut none of them proves scary enough for Ethan. When Gabe returns sooner than expected from his fishing trip, Ethan is thrilled. It turns out that Gabe didn't enjoy fishing because the fish scared too easily."

Full Product Details

9780979974625

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Reviews

Beautifully moody illustrations give this story its atmosphere of dark spookiness. The colours glow and these excellent monsters are the most interesting range of characters imaginable. -- Scholastic.co.uk July 2009

Beautifully moody illustrations give this story its atmosphere of dark spookiness. The colours glow and these excellent monsters are the most interesting range of characters imaginable. -- Scholastic.co.uk July 2009

Fretting that he won't be able to get to sleep with Gabe, his favorite under-the-bed monster, who has gone off on a fishing trip, a lad holds auditions for a temporary replacement. Unfortunately, the applicants are just not scary enough, despite full complements of talons, googly eyes and like monsterly accoutrements. Displaying a dab hand for accurately rendered fine detail and massy, solid-looking figures, McWilliam depicts a succession of outsize Monsters, Inc. - style creatures bulging up from beneath the young narrator's bed and then retreating grumpily after his polite rejections - until, at last, a pair of huge red eyes and an ominous puddle of drool signals the return of his customary bogey. No other monster can scare me like you! the child declares happily, and settles down for another untroubled night. A clever anxiety-defuser and an unusually well done double-debut. (Picture book. 5-8) (Kirkus Reviews)

Author Information

Amanda Noll is a writer. She lives in Spanaway, Washington. Howard McWilliam has won awards for his artwork, including National Young Cartoonist of the Year (UK), and has contributed art to a wide range of magazines and newspapers including, Child Education, The Daily Telegraph, Nursery Education, and The Week.

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