Birthday Monsters!

Birthday Monsters!

by Sandra Boynton

You hear your door come crashing down - those birthday monsters are in town And they're going to wreak havoc in the most extraordinarily rude ways. Featuring Sandra Boynton's lively rhyming text and inimitable illustrations, this story about a madcap crew of lovable party crashers will appeal to kids and adults alike.

Sandra Boynton puts a new spin on birthday expectations and monsters in "Birthday Monsters." With longer and more sentences per page than many of Boynton's other books, Birthday Monsters has a lot of action creating the plot. The steady cadence and rhyming lines help keep the child engaged and following along. The font varies in sizes and is sometimes all capital letters, serving as an excellent learning tool when your little one is ready to learn his or her letters. The primary colored pastels pop against the white background, emphasizing the focus on the creative looking monsters and the birthday hippo.

Rather than being scary or mean, the birthday monsters are playful and funny. Their silly antics will inevitably bring a smile to your and your child's face. Children can mimic the monster's facial expressions, as they change many times throughout the story. The phrases and dialogue provide opportunities for you to create funny voices and pitches while reading.

I read Birthday Monsters to my friend Mosley on his first birthday. He sat in my lap and touched the monsters on each page while we read. He looked at me and smiled each time I read the capitalized phrases because I would get so animated and excited. It was a fun way to begin his birthday, and a bonding tradition I plan to keep as long as he'll let me read it to him.

--Audra