Monsters hide under beds, in closets and lurk outside closed doors. No matter where these creatures take up residence, most children go through a phase when they worry about monsters, ghosts and other creepy-crawlies being in their room at night. So how can parents help them cope?
Sharon Cramer is a mom of three who has dealt with her fair share of monsters while raising her three sons. She tackles the subject in her latest children’s book Marlow and the Monster a book every parent will want to keep on hand for those spooky nights. In Marlow and the Monster, Marlow has a monster, whether he likes it or not. And guess what? He doesn’t! What will Marlow do about this very pesky monster that keeps getting him into trouble? At his wits end, Marlow decides that the only prudent thing to do is to pawn the monster off on his little sister, Sarah, who eventually helps him see his monster in a very different light.
In Marlow and the Monster, Cramer takes the intimidation factor away from monsters and helps children and their parents form a more lighthearted view of these creatures.
“We don’t want to underestimate the reality our children’s beliefs and fears,” says Cramer, “but we do want to help them understand the role their imagination plays in controlling the things they are afraid of. For instance, maybe their monster is silly and goofy instead of mean and scary.”
The book is, in Cramer’s words, “My first trip onto the wild side!” Illustrated with quill pen and ink, the only splash of color is reserved for the monster to depict that only the children can see him. Each illustration takes her between 30-40 hours to create.
I know I have said this about a thousand times, but I LOVE checking out new children’s books and reading them to my kids! I love seeing their reactions and asking them what they thought about it when we finish. They always have something funny or enlightening to say. Marlow and the Monster was a huge hit with all four of my little ones! My girls share a room and my two youngest sons share a room so I made a stop in each to read this book to them. My girls were first and their favorite part was when Marlow brought the Monster to the little sister’s room. They noticed she was having a tea party and thought it was funny that the Monster wanted to join in! They also loved the wonderful “roaring” I was doing throughout the book! I stopped in my boys’ room next and my 8-year-old helped me read the story. He kept getting upset when I wasn’t holding out the Monster’s noises as long as he thought they should be! He also did a great job imitating Marlow when he was calling for his mom! He and his little brother thought the ending was hilarious when the Monster offers to turn the mom into a zombie! I am pretty sure, after the day we had today, he would’ve taken the Monster up on his offer! When we finished, I told my older son that the author also illustrated the pictures, so he spent the next 30 minutes inspecting every page. He kept trying to guess how long each item took to complete. He was fascinated with the rug in Marlow’s room! Because of all the detail, he was convinced it must have taken her at least a year to draw! My favorite thing about this adorable book was that my 3-year-old finally decided that monster’s are nice and funny! Marlow and the Monster was a fantastic book that would be great for kids of all ages! The illustrations were gorgeous and the story was the perfect length for my antsy children.
Marlow and the Monster is available on the Talking Birds website as a hardcover or eBook. Starting today, the eBook is available for FREE on Amazon! The hardcover retails for $14.95.
Win It!
One A Mom’s Take readers will win
a Marlow and the Monster book!
Ends 8/31/2012 at 11:59 PM ET. Open to US Only.
- Rules –
Enter in the Rafflecopter Widget Above! If you have problems using rafflecopter, be sure you are running the latest version of your web browser and have javascript updated. If there is a Mandatory entry, it must be completed before any others will count. Do not attempt multiple instances of entering as all entries will be disqualified. If I am unable to verify your entry, it will not count. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be picked. By entering you agree to the rules of the contest. For more information on entries and how to enter visit my “Contest Entries” page. Good luck!
Disclosure: I received Marlow and the Monster book in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other manner. The opinions expressed above are my own and any claims should be verified on the sponsor’s site.