Picture Books
Armstrong, Matthew. Jane & Mizmow. Jane and her best friend, a monster named Mizmow, are best friends in spite of their differences, and nothing can keep them apart.
Arnold, Caroline. The Terrible Hodag and the Animal Catchers. When animal catchers come to the forest looking for the scary-looking, but very kindly, Hodag, to to take him to a zoo, a group of lumberjacks must find a way to protect their friend.
Atteberry, Kevan. Bunnies!!! A monster searches everywhere to find the things he loves – bunnies!!!
Atteberry, Kevan. Puddles!!! While out for a walk with his friends, a monster becomes excited at the chance to jump in some puddles when it begins to rain.
Atteberry, Kevan. I Love You More than the Smell of Swamp Gas. A daddy and child monster hunt for skink in the woods while telling jokes about the creepy crawlies they see and exchanging reassurances of love.
Baker, Ken. Brave Little Monster. A little monster has trouble falling asleep one night because he fears little boys and girls are hiding under his bed and in his closet.
Balmes, Santi. I Will Fight Monsters for You. Two little girls – one human and the other a monster – are afraid to go to sleep for fear of what’s living under their beds.
Bee, William. Beware of the Frog. Sweet old Mrs. Collywobbles lives on the edge of a big, dark, scary wood, but has a pet frog to protect her from greedy goblins, smelly trolls, and hungry ogres.
Boyd, Colin. The Bath Monster. Every night, Jackson takes a bath to keep the Bath Monster away–a monster whose second favorite food is dirty bathwater–but when Jackson decides he no longer believes in the Bath Monster, he discovers what the monster’s first favorite food is.
Braun, Sebastien. Back to Bed, Ed! Ed the mouse will not sleep in his own bed, until eventually his exasperated and tired parents find a way to keep him from joining them in the middle of the night.
Cohen, Caron Lee. Broom, Zoom! One beautiful, starry night, a little witch wants to go for a ride on a broom but first she must help a little monster clean up a mess.
Cuyler, Margery. Monster Mess. A monster sneaks into a boy’s room and cleans up while the boy is asleep.
Dax, Eva. You Are Oh So Horribly Handsome! Gregor is strong, loud, and frighteningly fast, but when he worries that he might not be handsome with his rotten, crooked teeth and his stinky, cheesy feet, he decides to ask his family and friends.
Dodd, Emma. Best Bear. With the lights out, a boy feels safe from monster-shaped shadows, since none would dare come near him and his favorite teddy bear.
Docherty, Thomas. Big Scary Monster. Big Scary Monster learns some surprising things about himself when he goes down his mountain to find the creatures he has frightened away.
Dyer, Sarah. Mrs. Muffly’s Monster. Ordering dozens of eggs, hundreds of jars of jam, lots of pounds of butter, and more, the people around town begin to wonder what is going on in Mrs. Muffly’s house while rumors circulate that maybe a hungry monster is hiding in her cellar.
Emberley. Ed. Go Away, Big Green Monster! Die-cut pages through which bits of a monster are revealed are designed to help a child control nighttime fears of monsters.
Emberley, Rebecca. If You’re a Monster and You Know It. Monsters sing their own version of this popular song that encourages everyone to express their happiness through voice and movement.
Emberley, Rebecca. Ten Little Beasties. One by one, ten little monsters appear and then disappear from the page.
Emberley, Rebecca. There Was an Old Monster! In this variation on the traditional cumulative rhyme, a monster swallows ants, a lizard, a bat, and other creatures to try to cure a stomach ache than began when he swallowed a tick.
Ferrell, Sean. The Snurtch. Ruthie has a problem at school. It is the Snurtch. The Snurtch is a scribbly, grabby, rude monster who follows Ruthie around and gets her into all sorts of trouble. It seems Ruthie will never be rid of the Snurtch. But eventually, she realizes she’s not the only one… George has one too.
Fletcher, Tom. There’s a Monster in your Book. Encourages the reader to shake, tilt, and wiggle the book to remove the little monster inside, but once it is out, another problem arises.
Fredrickson, Lane. Monster Trouble! Although Winifred thinks the monsters who creep into her bedroom each night are cute, she cannot get any sleep and tries to scare them away.
Funke, Cornelia Caroline. The Wildest Brother. Ben is constantly swooping in to protect big sister Anna from imaginary ghosts and monsters. At night, in a soothing bit of reciprocation, Anna becomes the protector.
Gibala-Broxholm, Scott. Maddie’s Monster Dad. Maddie loves it when her father plays scary games with her, but when he is too busy with work she turns into a “Maddie Scientist” and builds herself a monster dad that she thinks will be more fun.
Gravel, Elise. I Want a Monster! After convincing her dad that she can take care of a pet monster, a young girl uses her monster guide to train and raise him.
Hicks, Barbara Jean. Jitterbug Jam. Grandpa Boo-Dad not only believes that Bobo has seen a pink-skinned boy with orange fur on his head hiding under the bed, he knows exactly how a little monster can scare off such a horrible creature.
Hodgkinson, Leigh. The Big Monster Snoreybook. While all the large monsters sleep a little monster records their snores for a special project.
Howie, Betsy. The Block Mess Monster. Calpurnia has tried to explain that the huge and scary monster that lives in her room does not want the room cleaned but her mother, who cannot see the monster, has a few ideas about how to make it go away.
Hutchins, Pat. Three-Star Billy. Billy, a bad-tempered little monster who does not want to be in nursery school, throws tantrums that only result in his teacher’s giving him praise and three stars.
Inkpen, Mick. Kipper’s Monster. While camping out in the woods, Kipper and Tiger encounter a horrendous “monster” which is not what it seems.
Jenkins, Emily. The Fun Book of Scary Stuff. A little boy tells his two dogs about all the things that scare him, including monsters, ghosts, witches and trolls.
John, Jory. Quit Calling Me a Monster! A young monster resents being called a monster.
Keller, Holly. Brave Horace. In the days before his friend George’s monster movie party, Horace prepares for the frightening events he expects will occur.
Kellogg, Steven. The Mysterious Tadpole. It soon becomes clear that Louis’s pet tadpole is not turning into an ordinary frog.
Kleven, Elisa. A Monster in the House. A boy listens to his new neighbor describe the monster that lives at her house, who screams when awakened, yells for food, spits up on everything, and sucks his toes.
Knudsen, Michelle. Marilyn’s Monster. Trying to be patient as one of the only kids in her class who has not been chosen by a pet monster, little Marilyn decides to search for her monster even though she is supposed to wait to let a monster choose her.
Koller, Jackie French. No Such Thing. A boy is afraid there is a monster under his bed, until he meets a monster who is afraid there is a boy above his bed.
Leuck, Laura. Jeepers Creepers: A Monstrous ABC. Twenty-six monsters go to school and learn their letters as each one’s name starts with another letter of the alphabet.
Light, Steve. Have You Seen My Monster? Invites young readers to identify shapes while helping a small girl search the fair for her pet monster.
Lindenbaum, Pija. When Owen’s Mom Breathed Fire. One morning, stress turns Owen’s mom into a fire-breathing, bug-eating dragon.
Mayer, Mercer. There’s Something in My Attic and There’s A Nightmare in My Closet. In each book a brave child deals with his or her nightmares by catching them.
McAllister, Angela. Yuck! That’s Not a Monster! As Mr. and Mrs. Monster’s three eggs begin to hatch, they happily welcome the first two ugly little monsters to come out, but are shocked and disappointed when they see what pops out of their last egg.
McCarty, Peter. Jeremy Draws a Monster. A young boy who spends most of his time alone in his bedroom makes new friends after the monster in his drawing becomes a monstrous nuisance.
McElligott, Matthew. Even Monsters Need Haircuts. At night under a full moon, a child operates a barber shop with a monstrous clientele.
Miranda, Anne. Monster Math. A counting book in which a little monster’s birthday party gets out of control.
Noll, Amanda. I Need My Monster. When Ethan checks under his bed for his monster – who is on vacation – he finds that without his monster’s familiar nightly scares Ethan doesn’t stand a chance of getting to sleep.
Noll, Amanda. Hey, That’s MY Monster! Ethan tries to help his toddler sister find her own bedtime monster.
OHora, Zachariah. The Not so Quiet Library. Oskar and and his bear Theodore must save the day when an angry monster barges into the library…and thinks it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet!
Pym, Tasha. Have You Ever Seen a Sneep? Rhyming text asks the reader if certain unusual–and unpleasant–creatures live nearby.
Regan, Dian Curtis. Monster Baby. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver are delighted to find a newborn baby on their doorstep one morning, but must learn to adapt when they discover that he is not like other babies.
Reidy, Jean. Time Out for Monsters! A little boy turns his “time out” into an adventure.
Richards, Dan. The Problem with Not Being Scared of Kids. A group of monsters want to make friends with kids, but the kids are afraid of them despite the monsters efforts to play, do crafts, and share with them.
Robinson, Mark. Vile: A Cautionary Tale for Little Monsters. At the School of Manners in Beastieville, monsters strive to get marks for bad behavior, be disruptive in class, and above all avoid being good.
Rosenbaum, Andria Warmflash. Big Sister, Little Monster. Lucy finds her little sister Mia an annoying little monster, but one day when she yells “Go away” Mia disappears into a world of monsters, who make Mia their queen–and it is up to Lucy to find her own inner monster and retrieve her sister.
Rosoff, Meg. Jumpy Jack & Googily. Jumpy Jack the snail is terrified that there are monsters around every corner despite the reassurances of his best friend, Googily.
Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king. (In the Caldecott section)
Soman, David. The Monster Next Door. A boy has to find a way to resolve a neighborly dispute with the monster next door when the monster starts playing his tuba too loud.
Spinelli, Eileen. Wanda’s Monster. When Wanda fears that she has a monster in her closet, she takes her grandmother’s advice and begins to look at things from the monster’s point of view.
Stein, David Ezra. Monster Hug! Two rambunctious young monsters have an action-packed day together.
Stein, Mathilde. Monstersong. When Mommy invites the scary monsters from under the bed to sleep with her son, he thinks that the monsters would be much happier in her bed instead.
Stine, R.L. The Little Shop of Monsters. An illustrated, interactive story with a narrator who invites the reader to meet a vast array of pet monsters, such as the Yucky Mucky twins, and choose one to take home.
Thach, James Otis. A Child’s Guide to Common Household Monsters. A girl discovers that her house is full of friendly monsters who are more afraid of each other than she is of them.
Trapani, Iza. Gabe and Goon. Goon is the monster hiding in Gabe’s closet, but the trouble is he is a lot more afraid of children than Gabe is afraid of monsters.
Vernick, Audrey. Unlike Other Monsters. Zander is a monster. And monsters don’t have friends. But one day Zander meets Bird, and a strange thing happens. They start to spend some time together. Zander even tells Bird a secret no one else knows about. When another monster asks, “Is that your friend?” Zander says no…but is that true?
Vestergaard, Hope. What Do You Do – When a Monster Says Boo? Gives rhyming instructions for dealing with monsters.
Wheeler, Lisa. Boogie Knights. When the knights of the castle are awakened by the noise from the Madcap Monster Ball, they decide to join the party.
Wheeler, Lisa. Even Monsters Need to Sleep. Illustrations and rhyming text explain some of the things that different monsters do before they go to sleep.
Willems, Mo. Your Pal Mo Willems Presents Leonardo the Terrible Monster. Leonardo is supposed to be a terrible monster, but he’s just terrible at his monsterly craft.
Williams, C.K. A Not Scary Story about Big Scary Things. A little boy walking through an ordinary forest encounters an extraordinary monster.
Winthrop, Elizabeth. Maggie and the Monster. Maggie wants to get rid of the monster that visits her room every night and accepts her mother’s suggestion to simply ask the monster what it wants.
Zenz, Aaron. Monsters go Night-Night. Takes readers through the bedtime rituals of seven friendly monsters while making each step of the routine a guessing game!
Illustrated Literature
Dipucchio, Kelly S. Sipping Spiders Through a Straw: Campfire Songs for Monsters. Classic sing-along songs have been altered for optimal gross-out effect making them perfect for little monsters everywhere to sing around the campfire, and they include “Do Your Guts Hang Low” and “99 Bottles of Blood on the Wall.”
Fox, Mem. The Goblin and the Empty Chair. A goblin who for many years has been hiding himself so that he does not frighten anyone finally finds a family.
Juster, Norton. The Odious Ogre. Presents the story of an enormous, insatiable, and short-tempered Ogre, who terrorizes the countryside and dines on hapless townspeople before encountering a friendly young lady who uses innovative methods to stop him.
Rex, Michael. Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody. A young monster says goodnight to all of the other monsters in his bedroom.
Kaplan, Bruce Eric. Monsters Eat Whiny Children. Henry and Eve, having ignored their father’s warning, are kidnapped by monsters who eat whiny children, but while increasing numbers of monsters argue over how to prepare them, the siblings begin to play nicely. Includes a recipe for cucumber sandwiches.
Sierra, Judy. The Gruesome Guide to World Monsters. Provides illustrations and brief descriptions of monsters found in different parts of the world, including Bloody Mary, who pulls children into mirrors throughout North America, and the blood-sucking, water-dwelling Kappas of Japan.
Szobody, Michelle S. Beowulf: Grendel the Ghastly, Book One. An adaptation of the ancient poem describing the clash between Beowulf and Grendel, when despair meant defeat and only courage could win the day.
Beginning Readers
Keane, David. Monster School: First Day Frights. On his first day at a new school, Norm, a regular boy, has trouble fitting in with his monstrous classmates.
Roberts, Bethany. Ogre Eats Everything. May Belle and her friend Ogre have a good time as she teaches him how to plant and tend a garden, how to read, and what to do when feeling bored.
Van Leeuwen, Jean. Amanda Pig and the Awful, Scary Monster. Amanda the pig sees monsters at night, but her parents and her brother find different ways to convince her that there are no monsters.
Non-fiction
J 001.944 Bec. Becker, Helaine. Monster Science: Could Monsters Survive (and Thrive!) in the Real World? An examination of six fearsome creatures sets out to determine fact from fiction using scientific fact.
J 001.94 Ham. Hamiliton, Sue L. Monsters of Mystery. Looks at what is known about such unexplained creatures as the Abominable Snowman, Bigfoot, and the Chupacabra.
J 001.944 Mil. Miller, Karen. Monsters and Water Beasts. The facts and fiction surrounding mythical creatures, including Big Foot, Moth Man, and mermaids, are explored in an illustrated presentation of scientific opinion, firsthand accounts, and tales of lore.
J 001.944 Ola, Orlander, Johen. A Field Guide to Monsters: Googly-Eyed Wart Floppers, Shadow-Casters, Toe-Eaters, and Other Creatures. Reports the habitat, diet, life-cycle, and other characteristics of a variety of unusual monsters, as observed and recorded by a monstrologist.
J 808.8 Bro. Brown, Marc. Scared Silly! A Book for the Brave. An illustrated collection of spooky stories, poems, and riddles including a humorous array of ghosts, monsters, ghouls, and witches.
J 811.54 Moo. Moore, Lillian. Beware, Take Care; Fun and Spooky Poems. Fifteen fun and spooky poems about monsters, dragons, ghosts, and other creatures.
