Marlow and the Monster by Sharon Cramer
Marlow and the Monster is about a monster who wants to play with a little boy named Marlow. Marlow is not afraid of the monster but rather finds him annoying as he gets him in trouble with his parents who insist monsters aren’t real. Marlow tries to rid himself of the monster by dumping him on his little sister. Marlow’s sister brings the monster back and Marlow finds out the monster isn’t so bad after all.
Marlow and the Monster is brought to life with vividly detailed illustrations in black and white stippled artwork with the monster painted in dramatic bright colours because, as author Sharon Cramer explains, “Only the kids can see him!” Sharon has also hidden a sweet little mouse on every page for your child to find.
I love that the monster is not portrayed as being bad but rather misunderstood – the monster thinks he is “SOOOOooo scary” but Marlow just finds him annoying.
Sharon Cramer was featured in the August 2012 issue of Staten Island Parent as well as in Oh, Baby where Sharon Cramer shares tips on “How to deal with Monsters, Bad Dreams, and Other Scary and Frightening things.” Marlow and the Monster clearly falls under her first tip, and so is a great tool for parents when dealing with “scary things” in a press release found on Talking Bird Book’s website she explains the tip further:
“We donʼt want to underestimate the reality of our childrenʼs beliefs and fears,” says Cramer, “but we do want to help them understand the role their imagination plays in controlling the things they are afraid of. For instance, maybe their monster is silly and goofy instead of mean and scary.”
I would highly recommend Marlow and the Monster for children who are afraid of whats under the bed and for those who just enjoy a good read.
About the Author:
Sharon Cramer is the author and illustrator of the award-winning, three-book series, Cougar Cub Tales. She is also the author of newly released (August 10, 2012) Marlow and the Monster, and is working on a new young adult series called The Cerulean Star. A native New Yorker, Cramer lived throughout the United States before settling in the Pacific Northwest. She is also a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, working part-time. But, Cramer says she lives for writing and painting her two passions. Cramer earned a BS in Science and Nursing from Idaho State University and a Master s in Anesthesia and Education from Gonzaga University. She lives in Spokane, Wash. An artist at heart, she also studied art and design at the University of Houston. She has three grown sons and lives with her husband in Spokane, Wash.
You can learn more about Sharon by visiting her website, Facebook, or Twitter.
Buy it:
You can buy Marlow and the Monster for $14.95 direct through Talking Bird Books or if you prefer through Amazon.com
my son is not afraid of monsters just deathly afraid of spiders
my kids were fearless
My son is not afraid of monsters, but I was when I was a child. I always need my nightlight on.
No because my children ARE the monsters (lol). My 4 year old sleeps with a nightlight though.
LOL Andrea, your little monsters, that’s funny.
My three oldest were never afraid of monsters.My sixteen year old was afraid of the fake owl on the neighbors roof that faced her bedroom when she was little though.My youngest is only 21 months old so I don’t know if he is afraid of them lol!
Not yet, he’s still too little to really be afraid of things like monsters.
My little guy is only 7 months so not yet! I was never really afraid of monsters as a child but I was afraid of the dark!
My kids are not afraid of monsters. 🙂
My daughter is afraid of the dark but not monsters!
not yet, he’s only a year
My son is afraid of monsters and the dark!
Yes my little ones are afraid there may be monsters
He is scared of cookie monster.
My little cousins actually love monsters.
Yes they are alittle afraid of monsters
thanks
I only had one child that was afraid of monsters – I cured it by using really smelly perfume. Before she went to bed at night, I’d ask my daughter where the monster hid. She’d tell me ‘in the closet, under the bed etc.’ & I’d spray the perfume aka Monster Buster wherever her monsters lurked. The stink got rid of the monster & let my daughter get settled happily into bed.
My rafflecopter name is Julie G.
My 8 year old is going through that stage now. If the curtains or the shower curtains move, he freaks out thinking it is a ghost or a monster trying to get him. I didn’t know until a few days ago that he was watching supernatural with his cousin and that is what is causing him to be scared.
She’s not quite old enough to tell me, but I don’t remember being scared of monsters as a kid. I was always afraid of someone breaking in though.
not yet
I was quite scared of monsters when I was little. Always had a reaccuring dream of a cyclops that chased me around the great Wall of China. I woke up after scared and tired!
My daughter is obsessed with Monsters! She Loves them!
My daughter is a bit young yet to be scared of monsters.
One was scared, when he had a bedroom in the basement.
My daughter doesnt seem to be afraid of very much yet 🙂
oddball2003 at hotmail dot com
Not yet.
My kids were never scared of monster or anything, they loved horror movies at a very young age, took after their mother
My kids actually like monsters!
morales_y at yahoo dot com
I was always afraid of monsters and anything else I thought roamed around in the dark. I’d take a flying leap into my bed so the monsters under the bed wouldn’t grab my feet. Funny … I still sleep with a small light on or the tv going 🙂
they have never been scared actually..
I was as a kid i remember we always thought there was tigers under out bed lol
My daughter is 2 and just finding out about monsters!!
would love this for my little nefews
would love this for my little nefews
my kids dont really know what a monster is
My great niece is too young to know what a monster is, lol I wasn’t scared of monsters as a child. 🙂
abrennan09@hotmail.com
So far, with our kids being 7 and 9, we have been blessed to have only one nightmare between the both of them. They have never been scared of monsters, bees, snakes, dentists, or anything else that I can think of. We have always been honest with our kids and we never make a big deal out of typical things that people might normally react to. We have told the kids that monsters are just not real, and they trust us… so far.
I am really proud of them.
Yes, both my children were scared of monsters.
hschonrock at yahoo dot com
my son isn’t when I was little though I was scared there was a monster under the bed
I was scared to death of them, lol. My daughter likes them.
all four of them are scared. sometimes i have to check behind doors, leave lights on and look in the closets for them
My oldest son will see something on TV and act like he is scared.
I was afraid of the dark as a child and it’s interesting to see that my daughter has just started to be afraid of “dragons”. They’re everywhere…
Thanks for making this open to Canadians.
Besos, Sarah
Blogger at Journeys of The Zoo
journeysofthezoo at hotmail dot com
My son is the bravest child I know. As a kid I was afraid to sleep in my own room.
The only thing my daughter is afraid of is an inflatable panda she received for her first birthday.
My twin 3 year olds are both afraid of monsters but then I show them Mike and Sully from Disney and they like them. I was never afraid of monsters as a child, but very frightened of clowns.
Yes our 5 yr old has had her moments where she is afraid of monsters under her bed or in her closet
My daughter is a little afraid of hte dark but she doesn’t mention monsters specifically.
All my girls love scary things just like mommy..lol Halloween is better than Christmas for my kids
No fear of monsters yet!
My son is afraid of monsters and leprechauns. I was afraid of monsters as a young child too.
My son was afraid of monsters but now he’s only afraid of the dark.
Nope, not that I am aware of.
Nope! I never was either.
I was afraid of monsters as a child.
billiondollarprincesss@hotmail.com
Oh, yeah. There were monsters in my closet!
Oh yes. Isn’t everyone scared of monsters?
only when they don’t want to go to bed
My niece like to sleep with a night light on but dosn’t talk about monsters.
I’m not afraid of monsters, just ghosts..
NOT YET, THEY TOO YOUNG
no monster fear yet
one is afraid
Yes, I was afraid of monsters when I was young.
My son says he isn’t afraid of monsters, but he won’t go into a dark room alone.
My daughter is still afraid of the dark and monsters in the dark.
kids were kinda scared of monsters………i was a big chicken when i was little
When I was younger I was always afraid of the monster under my bed 🙁 and now my son is afraid of monsters
my 2 year old is just beginning to be scared of monsters
I was afraid of the grizzly movie. thankyou, ken pohl19@comcast.net
I was afraid of monsters when I was little, but my dad and mom used “monster” spray (water) sprayed under my bed and in my closet and I wasn’t afraid anymore
My grandson is afraid of monsters. I told my daughter to fill a spray bottle with scented water and label it “Monster Be Gone” similar to what Heather P’s parents used. It works like a charm!
My son is scared of things sometimes, but my daughter is fearless!
Nope, fearless kids 🙂
yes.. have a nightlight
i have 4 grandchildren ages 9 to 11, 3 are scared of monsters and 1 is brave and wants to see it all
No problems with the monster with my kids or grandkids.
i wasn’t afraid of any monsters
Yew, mine were afraid of monsters
My youngest son is scared of monsters.
yes they are very scared of monsters!
Was scared as a child for sure.
I only had one child that was scared of monsters but she called them monkeys. I have 2 grandsons that live with me and they are both terrified of monsters even though I tell them there is no such things as monsters.
Mine were never scared
Yes, my six year old daughter is still afraid of monsters from time to time.
I have been very fortunate that none of my children thus far have been scared of monsters- knock on wood.
Yes mine are some time’s, their older brother’s don’t help the situation