The MONSTER at the End of This Book

Here's the book you've all (well, one person anyway) been waiting for. The fourth book in our FIVE-DAY MONSTER MARATHON is The MONSTER at the End of This Book, by Jon Stone and illustrated by Michael Smollin.

I know, I know, this is a television-based book. But as far as media goes, I mean, it's Sesame Street. That show is based upon all of the best things, like literacy and jazz music. And this book is so very good.

Our host is Grover. Be warned, you may have to watch a little Sesame along with the kids so you can do the voice right. We don't have a TV, so we may be able to avoid that for awhile, but I'm sure Maya will become familiar with the "lovable, furry old Grover" sometime. She already has an Elmo phone. And I try to do the voice anyway. Grover is so very expressive, a method actor really.

Grover notices the title of the book, and being afraid of monsters, implores us not to turn any pages. After all each page brings us closer to the end of the book, and here there be a monster. He tries everything in his power to stop us-tying, nailing, and walling up the pages. But nothing works, and finally we find the monster at the end of the book is a monster we like anyway. I bet you can guess who it is.

Here is another great monster song to the tune of If You're Happy and You Know It.

There's a Monster in My Closet

There's a monster in my closet and it's green (rawwwr, rawwwr).
There's a monster in my closet and it's green (rawwwr, rawwwr).
There's a monster in my closet and it's really, really green.
There's a monster in my closet and it's green (rawwwr, rawwwr).

There's a monster in my closet and it smells (pew, pew).
There's a monster in my closet and it snorts (snort, snort).
There's a monster in my closet and it cries (boo, hoo).
There's a monster in my closet and it jumps (jump, jump).