A World Full of Monsters - Softcover

McQueen, John T.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0064432068 ISBN 13: 9780064432061

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books, 1989

Synopsis

A long time ago, when my grandparents'
grandparents were growing up...
there weren't any electric lights,
there weren't any cars,
there weren't many big machines...
But there were monsters!

And lucky thing there were, for in that funny, old-fashioned world, monsters really kept things running. They fed the pigs on the farm and put out fires in the city. In school you might have sat next to a monster, or even have been taught by one. Monsters were everywhere! And ... no one was afraid of them.

First published in 1986, A World Full of Monsters returns to provide bedtime comfort for a new generation. John Troy McQueen has spun a unique modern fable that explains away the bumps in the night that worry every child. Marc Brown's illustrations are full of the appealing characters, attention to detail, and gentle humor that have made him a household name.

About this title

About the Author:

John Troy McQueen is an educator and a freelance writer. For several years he was the features editor for the Fine Print Newspaper in Bennettsville, South Carolina. He has been an elementary, middle school, and high school teacher; primary and elementary school principal; attendance supervisor; and adult education director. He is the author of three books on Marlboro County heritage. A World Full of Monsters is his first book for children. He and his wife, Dorothy, are the parents of four grown sons-all of whom, he reports, were once afraid of monsters.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2 A welcome addition to satisfy the never-ending demand for ``monster'' books. Seated on his grandmothers's lap, a little boy tells of monsters long ago when his great-great grandparents lived. In the Victorian era of bicycles, candles, and water pumps, monsters and people mixed and mingled, and shared a similar way of life. Brown's rendition of the Victorian era is accurate and provides visual insight and information about the times. Illustrations are detailed, boldly colored, and humorous. The little boy draws readers back to the present when he tells them that monsters are almost nonexistent today, except at nighttime when they wash the windows (``screech, screech''), repair the clock (``tick, tick''), sweep the floor (``scratch, scratch''), fix the faucet (``drip, drip''), and smile a friendly smile when you say, ``Hi, Monster!'' before going back to sleep. McQueen's approach to a child's fear of monsters is as funny as Mayer's You're the Scaredy Cat (Four Winds, 1974), but more subtle and sensitive. Author and illustrator explain away the noises of the night, reassuring children that these noises are not to be feared. A clever approach to a timeless topic. Janice Amicone, Downingtown Area School District, Uwchland, Pa.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0064432068
• ISBN 13: 9780064432061
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Brown Marc Tolon