Monsters at School: Volume 3

By Author / Illustrator

Laura Baker, Nina Dzyvulska

Genre

School Stories

Age range(s)

Publisher

Happy Yak

ISBN

9780711286603

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

27-06-2024

Synopsis

Fluffy monsters, scruffy monsters, monsters on their way. Rucksack monsters, turn-back monsters, off to school today!

Children will love this super-fun title packed with hilarious monsters on their first day of school! Follow the cheeky little monsters as they have lessons, go wild at playtime, eat a messy monster lunch, and learn and play together - and watch out for the silly dog monster hiding on every page!

Plenty to spot on every page, with playful, bright artwork and lots of amusing mishaps

Vibrant, contemporary style by Ukrainian illustrator Nina Dzyvulska

Energetic, wacky and characterful monsters

Good role models for little ones-monsters also clean up, do school work and calm down

See the monsters cause mayhem everywhere: at the school gates, in the cloakroom, in the classroom, on the playground, in the dining hall and in the bathroom

There are so many different monsters to spot within this kooky picture book. Kids can point out their favourites and gasp and chuckle at the gobble monster, the yappy monster and the learn monster, to name a few!

The simple narrative with fun wordplay and a gentle rhyme is perfect for reading aloud, ideal for preschoolers and early readers as they build up their vocabulary and reading confidence. This bold, bright and playful book is sure to be enjoyed time and time again by young readers as they are thrilled by the funny escapades of the monsters at school!

Reviews

Lucy

An interesting mix of very busy monsters! Monsters at School is jam-packed with many different types of monsters who are all busy doing different things at school. The cartoon illustrations will provide lots of interesting details for eager children to spot and compare as they include monsters with spikes, spots, crazy teeth, wiggly arms and lots of eyes!

The language used is quite playful and it's definitely not overpowered with heavy text. There are short phrases scattered throughout supported by lively, colourful illustrations. I enjoy how it shows a huge variety of activities that children may take part in during an average school day such as handwriting, lunch time, playing and washing their hands. It allows children to explore different parts of their very normal school day through a very unusual outlook as the monsters do it for them.

Monsters at School would be useful to refer to during transition activities with new classes, especially with younger children, to bring some fun to a situation which can often induce anxiety in many children. It would be nice to focus on a couple of the double page spreads as a way of introducing certain activities or routines within your own classroom. It would also provide a lead into a nice art activity where children could design and draw/make their own monster for their new classroom.

I particularly like the double page spread at the end of the story where the teacher is going home smiling and waving while the children are being collected by their parents. Everyone’s tired but everyone looks happy like they've had a great day at school!

Picture book / Reviewed by Lucy Hopkins, teacher