Join Scaredy Monster as he overcomes his fears of losing a tooth, riding a bike, and going to his first sleepover. With some help from Mommy Monster, Scaredy discovers he’s much braver than he thought—and he finds ways to feel safe and happy while doing scary things!
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**My thoughts**
This book is a collection of three short stories about a monster known as Scaredy Monster. Only he isn't a monster who is scary; he's a monster who is often scared!
In the first story, Scaredy Monster Loses a Tooth, we are introduced to this delightful character. I actually grinned when he roared and then apologized if he scared us readers. He's really cute, and he's purple, which is a bonus.
Scaredy Monster has his first loose tooth. While this is a completely normal rite of passage for children, for many it can be scary the first time that they realize one of those teeth they've had for most of their lives is about to fall out. What's going to happen to it? People have told them all kinds of scary (and untrue) stories about what's going to happen when that tooth is gone. His mom clears up any misconceptions, and he tries really hard to be brave. And of course, that tooth does come out!
I think kids who are nervous about losing a tooth will find some solace in this story and possibly worry less about it.
Next up is Scaredy Monster Rides a Bike. He's been riding a tricycle for so long, but now it is time to transition up to a bike. He wants to learn how to ride all by himself, but quickly learns that he needs Mom's help to do so. She teaches him one skill at a time until he is able to ride the bike by himself. And boy, is he proud of himself when he can do so!
Kids learning how to ride bikes will relate to the many steps it takes to learn how to ride a bike and the persistence needed to do so.
And finally, we have Scaredy Monster and the Slumber Party. It's the first time he is staying overnight away from home. It's so exciting to go to your first sleepover! But it's also pretty typical to get a little scared during that first one. You're in a new place without your parents. And of course, we like to scare ourselves at sleepovers with scary stories and movies.
He gets so scared that he wants his mommy to come and get him. But after she brings him his stuffed monster toy and reassures him that it is okay to be sad at times, he decides that he wants to stay over anyway. I think a lot of kids go through this experience in their early days of sleeping over, and it's a good reminder that it's okay to be scared. Everything will be okay.
So my overall thoughts on the book: Scaredy Monster is a lovable character to whom children are going to relate as he goes through all of these typical childhood experiences. The stories can be used to prepare children for an upcoming event, or as a basis for discussion for a current event in their lives. I look forward to more stories about Scaredy Monster in the future.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
