Go Away, Big Green Monster!

This brilliantly constructed book features cut-out pages that, when turned, gradually build the scary parts of a monster into its full glory. But then, at midway, the narration reads, “… YOU DON’T SCARE ME! So GO AWAY,” giving the child the agency to turn the pages to make the monster gradually do just that. In my experience, younger kids are delightfully a little terrified at first and then master that fear as they turn the pages to make the monster recede, using lines like “GO AWAY big red mouth!” When reading this one online, I find that it works best… show more.

This interactive picture book provides a great way to scare away a frightening monster.

As kids turn the die-cut pages, they’ll see the features of Big Green Monster grow bigger and bigger, until his whole body is pictured, at which point there’s a caption that reads, “You don’t scare me.” In the remaining pages, the features and finally the monster disappears. I understand why children love this book. They are in charge when they stand up to the monster. “And don’t come back! Until I say so,” the text concludes. As in Where the Wild Things Are, the child… show more.