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Monsters Are Afraid of Babies
Nicholas Tana, author
A boy learns to face his fear of monsters after discovering that monsters are afraid of his baby sister. Inspired by a child’s imagination, this children’s picture book features a timeless, rhythmical tale by Nicholas Tana with beautiful illustrations by Jessica Abbott and Elise Leutwyler. Simple enough for kids but profound enough for parents, children will learn how the fears they have of others are often the same fears others have of them. This New Classics Books publication is a must for every child’s bookshelf.
Reviews
This slight tale subverts expectations by revealing monsters’ true fear: babies. As an older brunette child reads a bedtime story to their younger, balder sibling, they hear noises coming from within the dark closet—though the duo seems oblivious to the monstrous existence of glowing-eyed entities tucked around the room and beneath the bed. Flipping on the lights, the older kid soon discovers that the baby terrifies the multicolored, big-eyed creatures hidden in the closet. Spreads of the infant crying, needing to be changed, teething, and otherwise demonstrating baby behavior teaches the narrator: “It’s no wonder why.../ Babies make monsters want to cry!” A loose rhyme scheme accompanies unoutlined but expressive digital illustrations. While the brief narrative feels slightly underdeveloped, the conceit is likely to entertain new older siblings with a fondness for the monstrous. Ages 4–6. (Self-published)
