Street Monsters

by Barbara Joosse, Kevin M. Barry (Illustrator)

Overview

It's a snowy winter's night in the city. The bedroom lights are off and it's time to settle down to sleep. But wait! What's that? Strange and scary sounds are coming from the streets outside. What can be making these sounds? Are monsters coming? Don't worry! All will soon be revealed. These monsters aren't here to frighten. They are here to help. Through rhyming text and atmospheric artwork, young readers can first imagine what might be making these mysterious sounds. Then a turn of the page identifies the actual "monsters"—vehicles and equipment like snowplows and garbage trucks—that help keep a city running smoothly. And now that all is well, it's time to go to bed! This clever concept is based on a bedtime ritual the author used with her own grandchildren to assuage their nighttime fears.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534112728
Publisher:	Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date:	08/15/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	420L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 7 Years

About the Author

Barbara Joosse is the author of 57 books for children, including Everybody’s Tree; Mama, Do You Love Me?; and The Fishermen, the Horse, and the Sea. She lives in a little harbor town on Lake Michigan. When her grandchildren sleep over on snowy nights, she reassures them that the growling sound outside their window isn’t really a monster—it’s the noisy snowplow!

Kevin M. Barry was eight years old when he found a monster living in his house. It was a slimy, grimy beast that lurked in a dark corner of the basement. When light shone on it, the monster looked suspiciously like an oil tank. TERRIFYING! When not designing fearsome fiends for picture books, Kevin is usually painting from nature or imparting the secrets of eerie art to the students of Pine Hill Elementary. Follow Kevin on Instagram @KevinBarryArt, and check out his other Sleeping Bear Press books, including Ghost Cat ; Kindergarrrten Bus ; and Bobby Babinski’s Bathtub.

Editorial Reviews

07/31/2023

Monsters that huff, claw, growl, and gnaw prowl a street at night... or do they? Joosse blends the anxiety, imagination, and mystery that can accompany a child’s experience of bedtime fears in this reassuring exploration of the nocturnal rhythms a city keeps. Tucked into bed on a wintry night, a child hears frightening noises outside. Once the child grabs “Papa,/ goggles,/ shield,/ and sword,” the pale-skinned duo look out the window. The eerie noises emanating from what first appear to be fantastically fearsome creatures actually come from “helping monsters” that keep the city safely humming. A tigerlike beast turns out to be a snowplow, and others are revealed to be a garbage truck and a city bus. Barry’s primarily b&w images toggle between eerie and realistic renderings, all illuminated by streetlamps, headlights, and moonglow. It’s a look at things that go bump in the night that may help some readers to rest easier. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 6–7. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly