Tag Archives: bedtime fiction

Monster Hands

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written by Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan; illustrated by Dion MBD

Milo reads some bedtime stories and makes the mistake of reading one about a monster under the bed. Now, he’s POSITIVE there’s a monster under his bed! He knows what to do. He reaches out to Mel, his friend across the street. Placing their flashlights under their hands, they sign to each other. Milo explains his dilemma about the monster under his bead and Mel gives advice and suggestions. Finally, they team up to make hand shadow monsters together to scare away any would-be monster that might be lurking under Milo’s bed. Phew! Such a relief! The story ends with Milo and Mel sharing a signed hug, because monster hands can also give hugs.

This sweet story incorporates ASL in a very natural way as part of the story as Milo and Mel work out how to chase away those monsters. Children will enjoy a story about a situation that might be all too familiar to them – seriously, who hasn’t had a monster under their bed at one time or another? The illustrations are bold and seamlessly incorporate signs along the way. Add this to your collection as it will be a hit. Highly recommended.

Time for Bed’s Story

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We’ve all heard the vocalized feelings about bedtime from kids, from “I’m not tired” to “I need a drink of water”. It’s pretty apparent how they feel about bedtime. But, have you ever thought about it from the bed’s perspective? Well, the bed in this book will fill you in on its opinion of the situation, from the drool on its pillow to the stickers on its face (headboard). While there are some major annoyances to be had as a bed; it seems to be just fine with the situation in the end when the reader notices a tenderness under that frustration (kind of like being a parent, right?).

Illustrations are colorful and the bed’s expressive features tell the story right along with the text. Readers will enjoy the story from this vastly different perspective and will nod knowingly at the pictures of kids jumping on the bed and leaving old socks and snacks under it. This book could lead very easily into a discussion about looking at situations from another side. There are some great opportunities to foster some empathy in kids. Plus, this bed is just hilarious!