New Review: How to Catch a Monster

A lesser known book that deserves outsize attention, children's book author Michael Yu's book How to Catch a Monster has something unique about it that I can't quite put my finger on. Sure, it's got a charming illustrative style and endearing monsters wrapped up in a fun bedtime story, but it just gives me a warm feeling that goes beyond a simple tale of imagination and discovery.

I do find the weakness of the story to be the text, which can be stilted at times and even confusing. It just doesn't reach the same level as the illustrations when it comes to capturing the story at hand. Sometimes it doesn't read as smoothly as it could, but it treads water well enough to get the story along.

One cool feature of the book is the Kindle Text Pop Up, which gives readers an entirely new way of absorbing the book. The pages look fantastic and seem to jump right off the screen.

Ultimately, the story has a heartwarming ending and is all smiles. It's an impressive book that my son wants to read over and over and even brings up in conversation other times throughout the day. In my mind, a good children's book lets kids connect the dots and think about things in a new way. This one does a marvelous job doing that.

Good For: Bedtime, feeling silly, too energetic, making mistakes, and getting messy.

My son says: Can we read the monster book? I'm that monster. You're that boy. Do we have any monsters in our house?

Name: How to Catch a Monster
Rating: 4.7 stars over 649 reviews


Description:

This book features vivid, full-color layouts with Kindle Text Pop-Up

Eric hates taking a bath. Eric hates brushing his teeth.

Eric hates putting on his pajamas. Let's face it, Eric hates getting ready for bed.

Thankfully, Eric's mom and dad have the perfect plan to help their little boy.

Find out what a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a monster has to do with it.

How to catch a monster is a fun and beautifully illustrated book with a surprisingly sweet ending that all readers will surely enjoy.

This charming children's story that is sure to become a favorite.

If you enjoy this book, please check out One Little Dragon.

It’s our family favorite.