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In this humorous bedtime tale, all this hungry monster wants is a MONSTER-sized goodnight kiss - phew!

About the Author

Ed Vere is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling writer and illustrator of picture books, including How To Be a Lion - winner of Oscar's Book Prize - and Max the Brave which was named one of The Sunday Times's '100 Modern Children's Classics'.
He studied fine art at Camberwell College of Art and has been writing and illustrating children's books since 1999. Ed has worked with CLPE to co-create the Power of Pictures scheme which encourages visual literacy in primary school education and has received major funding from the Arts Council. He is also a painter, working from his studio in east London.

Reviews

Terrific humour and surging energy
*Guardian*

Vere is as clever and entertaining as any writer-illustrator in the game
*Independent*

PreS-Gr 2-This delightful book asks listeners to believe that monsters are real and to wonder if "this MONSTER might be licking his lips AND thinking about YOU?" They are also asked to imagine that he is on his way toward them right now and to question if "he's smiling because he remembered to pack his knife and fork?" Over the course of his journey, the monster traverses a dark forest, swamp, mountains, and a town, while maybe thinking how good listeners would be with ketchup or on toast. But after suspense builds and he turns a bedroom doorknob, kids will learn that (spoiler alert) all he wants is a big, sloppy goodnight kiss. As Vere's text ruminates on what the monster may be thinking, his illustrations depict a pea green, cartoony, large, mostly happy, not-very-bright-looking monster whose tongue hangs out of his smiling mouth and whose large eyes are open quite wide. Vere uses bright colors, thick lines, and just a little spooky darkness to convey the mood. The varied font sizes and styles add to the visual silliness and pseudo-scariness of the story. Excellent for storytime, bedtime, or anytime for all but the most easily frightened.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"Supposing there are monsters... do you think that this monster might be licking his lips and thinking about you?" writes Vere as a dopey-looking green monster with bug-eyes and a tongue hanging out of his mouth makes his way toward readers. As the monster approaches, Vere offers clues about what it might do when it arrives: "[D]o you think he'll decide you'll taste even more delicious squished and then squashed onto hot buttered toast?" Vere carefully crafts suspense as the book progresses, amping up readers' excitement and anticipation before the slobbery (but not scary) finale. Ages 3-up. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.