Monster Needs His Sleep

Monster Needs His Sleep written by Paul Czajak and illustrations by Wendy Grieb (2014)

First of all, read the Dedications page… hilarious! “To my mom, and to the child who refuses to go to sleep when it’s bedtime. You in the feet pajamas, that’s right, I’m talking to you. Read this book, then go to bed.” OK, now you have a clear idea how this story is going to amuse and entertain you, and hopefully make that little one sleepy enough to go to bed.

Monster and the boy battle bedtime. The boy tries to convince Monster to do the right thing – put the toys away, brush his teeth, put on pj’s – and Monster appears to acquiesce but then he delays bedtime with snacks, books, and TV.  Finally the truth comes out that Monster is afraid of the dark. The boy gives him a night-light and a kiss good-night. Monster falls asleep before the boy leaves the room.

Paul Czajak delivers this wonderful bedtime tale in rhyme and humor. It’s fun to read the story from the boy’s point of view as he has to convince the Monster to go to bed. Preschoolers will see that as empowering. Instead of being the one to be put to bed by a parent, they get to put the Monster to bed. This is the third of Paul Czajak’s Monster books.

Watch the book trailer here.

Wendy Grieb has done an amazing job bringing the Monster to life. He is a character you will love to read about again and again. Her details into Monster’s character and the setting are delightful. While Monster invokes scary images of ogres or beasts by his name alone, Wendy Grieb helps the reader see that Monster is simply a big, sweet, goof who also happens to be afraid of the dark. When you’ve seen one of the monster books, you’ll definitely want to see them all!

I love Monster and the little boy. It is so endearing to see a child face his own fears by way of helping the Monster within to overcome the fear with a simple fix. I can see children identifying with both the boy and the monster, because after all, don’t we all have a little monster within us?