I NEED MY MONSTER!

Roar!!!! Today I get to introduce a great new picture book to all you monster-lovers out there. You know who you are - you love scales and slime and all things that spook and scare.... I NEED MY MONSTER, written by Amanda Noll and illustrated by Howard McWilliam, is the book for you!

Ethan loved the monster that lived under his bed. But when Gabe goes fishing, Ethan needs to find a replacement. Turns out that's not so easy to do...

     I asked Amanda about the creation of this fun book:

Q. How did this story come to you?

A. By wishing my three year old daughter would be too afraid to get out of bed. In my defense, my fourth child was still an infant. All I wanted was a solid night of sleep! It’s not my finest parenting moment. I’m a much better parent when I’ve had enough rest.

Q. Did you do a lot of revising?

A. Yes. Picture books are deceptive. They seem very simple and easy to write. I estimate (because I lost track!) that the book was revised about 11 times.

Q. What was your path to publication?

A. Long, but typical. I wrote the story mid 2005 and started submitting it to publishing houses (including Flashlight Press). Flashlight made on offer to publish the book in 2007. It wasn’t released until April of 2009.

Q. How are you celebrating the release of I NEED MY MONSTER?

A. Halloween is the perfect time to celebrate! I’ve been doing quite a few author visits and bookstore events. There is a monster page you can download at http://flashlightpress.com/Make_a_Monster.html to make your very own monster. Not to mention that I love to make toe cakes. They’re gruesome and tasty at the same time.

Q. It's a perfect Halloween book, but it's also a great night-time book for kids who want to 'embrace their monster' rather than fear it. Do you have any funny stories or anecdotes on how the book can be/is being used?

A. I did hear that after a reading one little girl said “There are monsters under my bed!?!” Mostly, it’s been well received. I’ve also heard one classroom is using the monster page to figure the number of variations that can be made with the monster bits. I just love to hear that kids are reading and enjoying the book!

Q. Thanks Amanda! Hope the book has a grizzly future!

A. Thanks! - Amanda