There are monsters in the dark, but Josie has a magic flashlight.
When the sun goes down, Josie stays awake because she sees monsters in the dark. She sees big monsters and little monsters, fuzzy monsters and scaly monsters. There's even a purple monster with big horns and long claws hiding in the kitchen! That one is the scariest thing in her house by far.
One evening, Josie’s dad gives her a magic flashlight, her very own Scary Snapper, that will turn any monster into something less scary. When she wakes up in the middle of the night and starts to feel scared, Josie ventures from her bedroom and into the dark hallway, her Scary Snapper in hand.
In Josie and the Scary Snapper, join Josie on a midnight adventure as she conquers her fear of the dark. With vibrant illustrations, an empowering story, and a twist you won’t see coming, Josie and the Scary Snapper is a page-turning picture book for bedtimes everywhere.
***If you enjoyed The Dark by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen, Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett, or Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberly, Josie and the Scary Snapper is for you!***
Josie, a light brown–skinned child with a cotton candy–esque cloud of pink hair, has difficulty falling asleep because she sees “monsters in the dark” every night. When her father gives her a Scary Snapper—a flashlight he promises will transform monsters “into something not scary at all”—Josie soon discovers the real objects behind many of her fears. Punctuated with “SNAP!”s throughout, Downing’s narrative about braving the unknown is well-paced as Josie shines her beam on frightening sounds and shadows in turn, revealing them to be household mainstays such as a coat rack and a sleeping cat. But when Josie’s Snapper doesn’t work on one particular monster, she discovers newfound courage in a satisfying speculative twist. Machado’s digital illustrations feature a soft-hued palette; cool tones effectively capture the nighttime mood, while the flashlight’s goldenrod beams of light turn nightmarish silhouettes to warmer-toned reality checks. Ideal for bedtime reads, this picture book debut will resonate with readers who might be afraid of the dark, a salient reminder of the power they hold within themselves. Ages 3–5. (Self-published)
