My Mission Statement

I write to serve, to unite, to educate. I write to share literature and flesh out ideas that may be of interest to others. I write to document an emotion, experience, or a blip in time. My mission is to write in such a way that the reader is reminded that we can find humor in all situations. It's one of the great blessings of life.


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

My new favorite picture book, I Need My Monster

Congratulations to Amanda Noll and Howard McWilliam, debut writer and illustrator, who created this fantastic new book! I NEED MY MONSTER flies right to the top of my list. It is clever, gorgeously illustrated, surprising yet with a little repetition when you need it, and then, most importantly, it is full of HEART. Moms and Dads, Aunties and Uncles, anyone looking to find a great read for your favorite child in your life, this is IT. It, like many great picture books, breaks the 'rules' of the current market. It is longer than most of the picture books you pick up today, but not too long for a bedtime story. In the story, our darling young protagonist receives a note from his regular monster under the bed, Gabe. Apparently Gabe has gone fishing for a week, and our protagonist is frantic. "How was I supposed to sleep if my monster was gone?" he laments. So he tries his luck with a number of 'substitute' monsters, none of whom will do. You will have to read it for yourself to see what happens. And let me mention the illustrations one more time. The cover art is a beautiful 'shot' of a boy looking under his bed, and every page turn is a wonder. Love, love, LOVE! Congratulations to Flashlight Press for this great book!

I've also been on a roll with YA books. I finished MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco X. Stork early in the week. I loved it so much that I immediately downloaded his newest book, IRISES, which I loved, as well. These books are very different but both full of heart and memorable characters. In MARCELO, the protag, a young man with borderline Asbergers, is asked to spend the summer working at his dad's law firm. His dad wants him to acclimate in the 'real world' even though he's been highly successful at his small, private school. Turns out, the real world needed MARCELO a lot more than he needed it! In IRISES, a pair of sisters lose their dad to a massive heart attack when their mom is already in a persistent vegetative state. They have to leave their home in less than two months, the life insurance claim was denied, and lots of hard decisions loom. Lovely journey of family and sisterhood and spirituality, as well. I highly recommend both of them. (both edited by the talented Cheryl Klein, btw)

Right at this moment, I have some kind of horrible rash on my face and neck and arm and back....some kind of food allergy. Anyway, I am miserable, and I can think of only one antidote. Yet another reading of I NEED MY MONSTER by Amanda Noll and Howard McWilliam. Did I mention you should read this book? It's delicious.

1 comment:

Julie Hedlund said...

Okay I'm sold. Onto the list it goes!


Isabel by Donna Jones Koppelman

Isabel by Donna Jones Koppelman

Major Bear at the Grove Park Inn by Donna Jones Koppelman

Major Bear at the Grove Park Inn by Donna Jones Koppelman