Haus-hold Picture Book Review: The Monster Above the Bed

Giveaways, Special Appearances, Pre-orders... Oh My!

If you are active in the KidLit writing community, you probably know who Kailei Pew is. If you don't, you've probably been living under a rock (sorry, but it's true). Kailei is the co-founder of the PB Rising Stars mentorship program, host of the Kid's Choice KidLit Writing Contest, and she has several books that will be published over the next few years.

Kailei's debut picture book THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED is illustrated by Steph Lew and explores a common childhood fear- there's a monster under my bed! Only this version of the story flips the idea upside down and reveals the perspective of the "monster" under the bed. The story invites readers to question the definition of "monster" and encourages little ones to face their fears head-on.

THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED is available on Tuesday, October 24th! Kailei has a TON going on to celebrate its book birthday:

• Storytime Sprint on October 25th at 8pm EST!

• Free webinars with pre-order or library request!

• A chance to win a mini-mentorship or author visit from Kailei!

I'm so grateful to be part of Kailei's street team to help her launch this fantastic book! You don't want to miss this one!

Synopsis

Blossom is sure there's a monster above her bed. She can mostly forget about it during the daytime, but as soon as it's time for bed she's kept wide awake by the monster's strange noises. Blossom decides it's time to investigate and comes up with a plan to face her fears head-on... and unexpectedly makes a new friend.

My Big Kid’s Honest Review:

What my Kids Loved: Right now, the little guy is really into monsters... but only if they aren't *too* scary. Blossom and her world are the perfect dose of monster-ness for the younger crowd, and the story's spooky or creepy elements are super child-friendly. My older son was more intrigued by the unknown and from the very beginning was wondering how on earth there could be a monster above Blossom's bed rather than under it. He absolutely loved the way the two worlds collided at the climax of the story, and especially enjoyed the idea that a monster could be afraid of us.

What I Loved: As a mom, I loved how this book made a typical and very real childhood fear super approachable and fun. It takes the world of the "other" (the monster) and presents it as "normal", and kids are immediately drawn to Blossom and are able to empathize with her easily because of it. The colorful illustrations kept both of my kids' attention, and fun words like "creeeeeak!" and "Weeeeeee! Eeeeeee!" were exciting to say together in silly, spooky voices. It was really enjoyable to read this with both of them, despite the big age difference between them!

As a writer, I loved Blossom's determination and her agency. She doesn't wait for others to solve her problem for her (it doesn't help that when she alerts her parents, the noises suddenly stop). Instead, Blossom makes choices and takes steps to figure out what's going on and do something about it. She has a strong character arc with an ending that feels so perfect and lends itself to multiple themes. Blossom is an excellent example of a strong character who jumps right off the page and into the reader's heart.

My favorite lines:

"But when it was time to get ready for bed, Blossom’s fears came creeping back. She couldn’t focus as she washed her face and paws. She got all mixed-up when she brushed her fangs and tangled her fur."

Final thoughts: This book is fun to read and would be perfect for families, caregivers, teachers, and anyone who has ever been spooked by a creeeeeeeak in the night.

You can pre-order THE MONSTER ABOVE THE BED here, and don't forget to enter Kailei's giveaway on her website!