We're Going to Find the Monster: what to read next

If your children like reading about monsters, Not Now, Bernard by David McKee depicts the familiar and frustrating situation of grown-ups just not listening to a child, who can see quite clearly that there’s a monster there. It’s an oldie but a classic. Newer to the monster gang is Are you a Monster? by Guilherme Karsten. The monster in this book is keen to find out whether the reader is also a monster. This is a book to read together during the day, not at bedtime, because there will be much stomping and noise as the reader interacts with the character. It’s a lot of fun! Just as fun is Monster! Hungry! Phone! by Sean Taylor and Fred Benaglia. This book has lots of repetition, an excellent monster – and a surprise ending!

The kids in We’re Going to Find a Monster! have huge imaginations, turning the house and garden into wild terrains ripe for adventure. In a similar vein, Penelope Snoop Ace Detective by Pamela Butchart and Christine Roussey follows Penelope and Carlos the dog as they track down Sidney the Smelly Sock Snake. They ride on the super-transporter to the garden, then swim across the grass and take a super space-blaster to the moon. Can they spot the criminal who’s taken Sidney?

Unusually, an adult joins in the fun in Dare We Be Dragons? by Barry Falls. Together, a father and child discover that tree trunks are also giants’ legs, a swing can be a space rocket and a grassy hill is really a volcano!

Dressing up is often an important part of imaginative play, and the little girl in I am Actually a Penguin by Sean Taylor and Kasia Matyjaszek fully commits to her role with zest. A delightful story packed with energy, humour and lots for adults to enjoy as well.

If it was the family dynamics that you particularly loved in We’re Going to Find a Monster!, then Alphonse, That Is Not OK To Do! by Daisy Hirst will be a delight. Monster siblings Natalie and Alphonse play together all day, but what happens when Alphonse destroys his big sister’s favourite book?

Dapo Adeola’s energetic illustrations shine once more in Clean Up!, written by Nathan Bryon. Rocket and her family go to the beach with Grammy and Grampy and while having fun (Grammy is an amazing surfer!), they also clean up the plastic on the shore. What a family!

If you want even more of Dapo Adeola’s brilliant way of depicting warm family dynamics, try My Dad is a Grizzly Bear, written by Swapna Haddow. Showing a dad having fun with his kids, this is the perfect book to read – and to follow with a bear hug!

Those are some of our ideas – but what about you? What are your family must-reads?

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