Marilyn’s Monster (2015)
written by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Matt Phelan
Everyone in Marilyn’s class is getting their own pet monsters. But the way it works is this—a monster must be the one to choose the child. One by one, every kid is chosen. Everyone, that is, except Marilyn. She tries to be patient and stay positive, but she’s beginning to feel lonely, discouraged, and left out.
Finally, Marilyn bucks convention, forgets about the way it’s “supposed to work” and sets out to find her monster herself.
As a children’s picture book, this is a complete delight and one of our daughter’s favorites. A darling story with charming illustrations. (The monsters share similar physical traits with their human companions.) But this also feels like one of those picture books we can read and gain comfort from into adulthood. Who hasn’t felt like the one left out or left behind in life’s milestones, whether it’s making friends at school, finding love, having children, finding their passion or so on. Marilyn’s Monster is definitely on our must-own list.
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