Paul Czajak got an F with the words "get a tutor" on his college writing paper and, after that, never thought he'd become a writer. But after spending twenty years as a chemist, he knew his creativity could no longer be contained. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two little monsters. In addition to the Monster & Me(TM) series, he's also the author of Seaver the Weaver. Wendy Grieb is a professional working in the Los Angeles animation industry and teaching animation. She is also an Annie Award winning storyboard artist, who has worked as a developmental artist, illustrator, and character designer for companies such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Sony, Klasky-Csupo, White Wolf, and more. She lives in Yorba Linda, CA.
Monster Needs a Christmas Tree is a Mom's Choice Awards(R) Gold Recipient The Monster & Me(TM) series is a 2015 Silver Moonbeam Children's Book Award winner for Best Picture Book Series A Holiday Kids' Book Recommendation by USA Today Featured in the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Christmas and Year-Round Children's Books Recommendations Listed as a Best New Kid's Christmas Book for 2014 by The Children's Book Review "Every little boy will want this Monster under his bed (or tree!)."--Jocelyn McClurg, USA Today "Paul Czajak's charming, memorable verse and Wendy Grieb's gorgeous illustrations breathe such life into the sweet relationship of this boy and his monster that it has caused me to re-examine my relationship with everything I imagined was living under my bed as a child. Perhaps I missed out on a lot of fun by hiding under the covers. The Monster & Me books are a treasure."--Dan Povenmire, Co-Creator of Phineas and Ferb "Monster Needs a Christmas Tree has all the wit and fun of the other awesome books in the Monster & Me series while having the added sparkle of holiday charm!" -- Jill Daniels, Art Director, Disney Animation "Every little boy will want this Monster under his bed (or tree!)."--Jocelyn McClurg, USA Today "Charming, cartoony illustrations add just the right touch to this delightful storybook."--Children's Bookwatch: December 2014, Midwest Book Review "This follow-up to Monster Needs a Costume (2013) finds the big, blue Sendakesque figure excited as heck about a different holiday. It's Christmas Eve, and he and his buddy, a little boy, need a tree, stat--after, of course, waiting to see Santa at the store, going sledding, making snow monsters, and getting into a snowball fight. By the time the fun is done, the trees are sold out. Czajak's "'Twas the Night before Christmas"-cadenced rhymes then turn somber: "We slunk back home without a tree, / exhausted and deflated. / I said to him, 'It's not that bad, / a tree is overrated.'" The cute finale brings to mind Charlie Brown, as Monster gathers up houseplants to cobble together a pretty darn impressive placeholder. As before, Czajak and Grieb make Monster's perpetual overexcitement palpable and identifiable." --Booklist "Monster makes the best of a bad situation in this well-done installment of the Monster & Me series. ... The tale is told in rhyming verse, and it's well done--the rhythm is tight, and the meter is consistent throughout. Czajak and Grieb partner well, with clear storytelling and creative use of black and white to show 'imaginary' sequences. Grieb's color illustrations are superb, as one might expect from her resume: She has done work for companies like Disney, Nickelodeon, Sony, and others, and she has won an Annie Award as a storyboard artist. Czajak's writing measures up, too, bolstering the enjoyment of watching Monster make the best of a bad situation with his potted-plant solution, and providing children with a valuable lesson in persistence and determination. Monster Needs a Christmas Tree shows that the Monster & Me series is going strong and, from all indications, has a long life ahead of it."--Foreword Reviews, 5 Star Review "Monster comes up with the surprisingly impressive solution of creating a tree out of all the potted plants in the house, and in the end, Santa comes through with the desired puppy. Colorful illustrations reflect Grieb's background as a storyboard artist for Disney..."--School Library Journal "The gifted duo of Paul Czajak and Wendy Grieb has done it again. Monster Needs a Christmas Tree is a beguiling book. The story is charming, the illustrations are great fun, and the design is superb. I know what I'm getting all the monsters in my life for Christmas." -- Ben Clanton, author of Vote for Me, The Table Sets Itself, and Mo's Mustache "Monster Needs a Christmas Tree is a treasure. Wendy Grieb's gorgeous illustrations are the perfect compliment to Paul Czajak's lively prose. Kids are going to love every page of this; families will want to make this one a permanent part of their holiday traditions." -- Mark Crilley, creator of Akiko and Miki Falls Monster Needs His Sleep reviews: "Czajak and Grieb (Monster Needs a Costume, 2013) pair up once again for a hilarious take on the many creative ways a monster attempts to avoid bedtime. ... Sure to be a welcome choice for the going-to-bed time that never seems to end." -- Kirkus Reviews Monster Needs a Costume reviews: "...Given the jaunty flow of the story and the humorous details on every page, put this at the top of the list for unscary options come October." -- Kirkus Reviews "The rhymes, quite obviously, are bouncy and irreverent, and just as much heck is raised by Grieb's cartoony illustrations of the enormous, blue, horned beast with the happy underbite..." -- Booklist
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