76 books like Psssst! It's Me...The Bogeyman

By Barbara Park, Stephen Kroninger (illustrator),

Here are 76 books that Psssst! It's Me...The Bogeyman fans have personally recommended if you like Psssst! It's Me...The Bogeyman. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue

Scott Menchin Author Of Wiggle

From my list on for funny and artistic young children.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a curious Pratt Institute art school professor and loving parent of a daughter who has also written and/or illustrated sixteen children’s books I want to share my favorite books with other children’s book connoisseurs. It also helps that I have lots of opinions. Too many to count. And when someone actually wants to listen to my opinions I get very excited. I’m hoping one of my favorites becomes one of your favorites. 

Scott's book list on for funny and artistic young children

Scott Menchin Why did Scott love this book?

This classic teaches a bored child why it’s important to care.

With brilliant rhyming by the man who created Where The Wild Things Are along with a lion, this child learns a lesson that will never be forgotten. A helpful parenting tool for all overburdened mothers and fathers

By Maurice Sendak,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Pierre as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A story
with a moral air
about Pierre,
who learned
to care.


Book cover of Caps for Sale

Scott Menchin Author Of Wiggle

From my list on for funny and artistic young children.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a curious Pratt Institute art school professor and loving parent of a daughter who has also written and/or illustrated sixteen children’s books I want to share my favorite books with other children’s book connoisseurs. It also helps that I have lots of opinions. Too many to count. And when someone actually wants to listen to my opinions I get very excited. I’m hoping one of my favorites becomes one of your favorites. 

Scott's book list on for funny and artistic young children

Scott Menchin Why did Scott love this book?

A ridiculous, hysterical old tale of a hat salesman who loses his hats to a bunch of monkeys and has to find a way to get them back.

I use to imitate the salesman and the monkeys while reading this book to my young daughter with a heavy Italian accent. I had more fun reading it out loud than any other book I’ve read. 

By Esphyr Slobodkina,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Caps for Sale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Caps for Sale is a timeless classic beloved by millions...one of the most popular picture books ever published! Children will delight in following the peddler's efforts to outwit the monkeys and will ask to read it again and again. Caps for Sale is an excellent easy-to-read book that includes repetition, patterns, and colors, perfect for early readers. This tale of a peddler and a band of mischievous monkeys is filled with warmth, humor, and simplicity and also teaches children about problem and resolution.


Book cover of Rotten Island

Scott Menchin Author Of Wiggle

From my list on for funny and artistic young children.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a curious Pratt Institute art school professor and loving parent of a daughter who has also written and/or illustrated sixteen children’s books I want to share my favorite books with other children’s book connoisseurs. It also helps that I have lots of opinions. Too many to count. And when someone actually wants to listen to my opinions I get very excited. I’m hoping one of my favorites becomes one of your favorites. 

Scott's book list on for funny and artistic young children

Scott Menchin Why did Scott love this book?

This book by the author of Shrek and one of my favorite artist/authors is a story of an island inhabited by crazy awful disgusting creatures and how they make it a terrible rotten island until nature takes hold and corrects all that.

A great book when thinking about our planet and environment. And the artwork is magnificent.  

By William Steig,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rotten Island as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What would happen if every creature on land and sea were free to be as rotten as possible? If every day was a free-for-all; if plants grew barbed wire; if the ocean were poison? That's life on Rotten Island. For creatures that slither, creep, and crawl (not to mention kick, bite, scratch, and play nasty tricks on each other), Rotten Island is paradise. But then, on a typically rotten day, something truly awful happens. Something that could spoil Rotten Island forever. Out of a bed of gravel on the scorched earth, a mysterious, beautiful flower begins to grow...


Book cover of The Conquerors

Scott Menchin Author Of Wiggle

From my list on for funny and artistic young children.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a curious Pratt Institute art school professor and loving parent of a daughter who has also written and/or illustrated sixteen children’s books I want to share my favorite books with other children’s book connoisseurs. It also helps that I have lots of opinions. Too many to count. And when someone actually wants to listen to my opinions I get very excited. I’m hoping one of my favorites becomes one of your favorites. 

Scott's book list on for funny and artistic young children

Scott Menchin Why did Scott love this book?

One of my all time favorites and not very well known, this remarkable book deals with a very grown-up topic, war, in such an innocent and simple way that it is somehow a perfect children’s book.

How does one conquering group get taken over by the people they are trying to conquer? Read it and find out! Created by the man who created Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.  

By David McKee,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Conquerors as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

There once was a large country that was ruled by a General. The General would take his army and attack all the countries around him until they were conquered. Eventually, there was only one small country left to conquer. However, this one did not resist but welcomed the soldiers - leading to a quite unexpected result!


Book cover of Hide and Seeker

Fleur Bradley Author Of Daybreak on Raven Island

From my list on scary stories for kids who love Goosebumps.

Why am I passionate about this?

I love scary books for kids, and scary mysteries in particular. I’m a strong advocate for literacy and reaching reluctant readers, and the author of the multi-award-nominated middle-grade mystery Daybreak on Raven Island and Midnight at the Barclay Hotel, among others. The recent resurgence of horror has brought a fresh new bunch of scary stories for kids. And I love reading these books, even though I’m well out of the target age range. These new scary books for kids blend genres, tackle difficult issues, and show kids that even in the darkest, smallest hour of the night, you can solve the problem at hand and come out on the other side—better, stronger, smarter.

Fleur's book list on scary stories for kids who love Goosebumps

Fleur Bradley Why did Fleur love this book?

If you really want to be scared, Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon is the book for you.

This story takes the hide and seek game and gives it a creepy twist. The book opens when Justin goes to see his friend Zee, who mysteriously disappeared a year earlier and is now back. But nothing is the same… Anyone who plays the game disappears, one by one, taken by the mysterious Seeker. This book had me sleeping with the light on.

If you have a kid reader who truly loves to be scared, Hide and Seeker is the perfect book.

By Daka Hermon,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hide and Seeker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

One of our most iconic childhood games receives a creepy twist as it becomes the gateway to a nightmare world.

I went up the hill, the hill was muddy, stomped my toe and made it bloody, should I wash it?Justin knows that something is wrong with his best friend.Zee went missing for a year. And when he came back, he was . . . different. Nobody knows what happened to him. At Zee's welcome home party, Justin and the neighborhood crew play Hide and Seek. But it goes wrong. Very wrong.One by one, everyone who plays the game disappears, pulled…


Book cover of Don't Push the Button! A Halloween Treat

Katie Vernon Author Of Happy Halloweenie

From my list on Halloween boards for little ghouls and goblins.

Why am I passionate about this?

Although I was a little scared of Halloween as a kid, I’ve grown to love the silly side of spookiness. Growing up with Pee-Wee’s Playhouse every Saturday morning, I learned that silliness is a superpower. Now, when working on kids books, my ultimate goal is to put work into the world that will delight kids, and won’t make the parents groan and say, “that one again?” Finding the sweet spot of being fun to read, fun to hear, and fun to look at is what I love most about creating kids books. I hope you and your little ghouls and goblins enjoy my spooky board Boooook list! 

Katie's book list on Halloween boards for little ghouls and goblins

Katie Vernon Why did Katie love this book?

Don’t Push the Button! A Halloween Treat, written and illustrated by Bill Carter is an entertaining and engaging read.

I always love when a monster is scared of the potential of other monsters. This one reminds me a bit of my favorite kids book of all time, The Monster at the End of This Book, but with more reader/listener participation. The format that worked so well with the original Don’t Push the Button book works just as well here.

By Bill Cotter,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Don't Push the Button! A Halloween Treat as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Go trick-or-treating with Larry in the hilarious Halloween companion of the USA Today bestseller Don't Push the Button!

Whether you're looking for a Halloween book for toddlers or an interactive book for preschoolers, Don't Push the Button! A Halloween Treat is a must-have for any household!

From the brilliant mind of author and illustrator, Bill Cotter comes one of the year's best Halloween books for kids. Everyone knows that trick-or-treating is the best part of Halloween. But that one house looks kind of scary...wait, why are you walking toward the creepy house?! Whatever you do, do NOT ring that doorbell!…


Book cover of Monsters 101

Vikki VanSickle Author Of If I Had a Gryphon

From my list on non-dragon and unicorn magical creatures.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I worked at a children’s bookstore I noticed there were tons of books about dragons and unicorns, but not a lot of picture books about other kinds of mythological creatures. I thought this was strange, especially since Harry Potter was so popular and those books were full of magical creatures. I have always loved pets and mythology, so I thought maybe I could write a primer on magical pet care. I also noticed how much the kids at storytime loved rhyming books, so I put all of these things together and If I Had a Gryphon was born!

Vikki's book list on non-dragon and unicorn magical creatures

Vikki VanSickle Why did Vikki love this book?

I love funny books! In Monsters 101, three hilarious professors share little-known, laugh-out-loud facts about monsters of all shapes and sizes. Readers will get a kick out of the non-fiction format and bright visuals. The author-illustrator of the book is the same illustrator of my book If I Had a Gryphon, so he knows a thing or two about drawing monsters!

By Cale Atkinson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Monsters 101 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Kids getting ready for Halloween will love this laugh-out-loud picture book that finally sets the record straight about monsters!

Monsters! They're so much more than just that scary thing under your bed. Join Professors Batula McFang, Blobbins, and Howlsworth, and their trusty lab assistant--a zombie named Tina--as they reveal eerie and frankly ridiculous monster facts, never uttered outside a crypt! For example:

Monsters love competitive board-game nights! Favorite monster foods include clam pudding with fish heads and pickled ant ice cream! In addition to cauldrons and spider gardens, monster homes often include homemade collages! Werewolves hate the sound of vacuum…


Book cover of Awakening

Matt Weber Author Of Brimstone Slipstream

From my list on fantasy that reimagines society.

Why am I passionate about this?

Science fiction is rightly famous for experimenting with new and strange social worlds, but fantasy tends to fall back on the usual feudal tropes: the whims of kings, the valor of knights, the always-temporary powerlessness of farm boys, the technicalities of succession. Which is a shame, because fantasy provides just as much opportunity to reimagine what society could look like. That’s what I try to do in my books, and at my job, where I’m working to bring 21st-century data literacy and quantitative reasoning to a state government stuck resolutely in the ’90s. When I think of books that have done what I’m trying to do, these five are at the front of my mind.

Matt's book list on fantasy that reimagines society

Matt Weber Why did Matt love this book?

Monstress is an awful lot of things: An epic fantasy that confronts the horrors of modern war; a work of fusion that marries Western and Eastern aesthetics and the epic scale of George R. R. Martin with the cosmic and body horror of Junji Ito; an incredible trove of beautiful visual art; a stage for women of all kinds, young and old, beautiful and monstrous, weak and powerful, with and without shark heads; and a story about a girl coming to grips with a dark family legacy and what it means for her place in a bloody, painful world.

More than anything else, it’s about what happens when people use each other. For my money, the best epic fantasy currently being published in any form.

By Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda (artist),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Awakening as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

2018 Eisner Award winner, Best Writer
2018 Eisner Award winner, Best Painter/Multimedia Artist
2018 Eisner Award winner, Best Continuing Series
2018 Eisner Award winner, Best Publication for Teens
2018 Eisner Award winner, Best Cover Artist
2018 Harvey Award winner, Book of the Year
2018 Hugo Award winner, Best Graphic Story
2018 British Fantasy Award winner, Best Comic/Graphic Novel
2018, 2016, 2015 Entertainment Weekly's The Best Comic Books of the Year
2018, Newsweek's Best Comic Books of the Year
2018, The Washington Post's 10 Best Graphic Novels of the Year
2018, Barnes & Noble's Best Books of the Year
2018, YALSA's…


Book cover of Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein

Micky Neilson Author Of Skinner

From my list on horror that will haunt you to the grave.

Why am I passionate about this?

Scary books and movies hooked me early in life and never let go. I’m fascinated by the themes that are explored in all of the various sub-genres of horror. I’m intrigued by the lore that’s created, and I’m impressed with the imagination of so many horror creators. Horror remains and always will be one of the most popular genres of storytelling.

Micky's book list on horror that will haunt you to the grave

Micky Neilson Why did Micky love this book?

This book is an endearing and beloved classic, and deservedly so. Here, the marriage of its exquisite prose with black-and-white illustrations from one of the greatest artists who ever lived is truly something to behold. If you’re like me, you’ll spend quite a bit of time gazing in awe at Wrightson’s composition, lighting, and brush strokes.

If all of this wasn’t enough, the book features an introduction by Stephen King!

By Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Bernie Wrightson (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Few works by comic-book artists have earned the universal acclaim and reverence that Bernie Wrightson's illustrated version of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein was met with upon its original release in 1983. Twenty-five years later, this magnificent pairing of art and literature is still considered to be one of the greatest achievements made by any artist in the field. Now, Wrightson and Dark Horse Books are collaborating on a beautiful new hardcover edition of the book, published in a larger 9' x 12' format intended to show off the exquisitely detailed line art of one of the greatest living artists in…


Book cover of Beasts of Prey

Asiel R. Lavie Author Of The Crossing Gate

From my list on debut young adult fantasy/science-fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated by fantasy and sci-fi books since childhood – ever since I read Harry Potter and my parents took me to Disneyland Park. My parents had a giant library, and they used to encourage me to buy books and read them. I enjoy reading books that mix genres with unexpected twists and turns, and I am always on the hunt for a good story to enjoy and review.

Asiel's book list on debut young adult fantasy/science-fiction

Asiel R. Lavie Why did Asiel love this book?

This book is brilliant! The blurb alone was enough to hook me, and I couldn’t put it down until I reached the last sentence! The story was interesting, and the world-building was vivid, and the magic system was so interesting. Give it a shoot, you won’t regret it! 

By Ayana Gray,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Beasts of Prey as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

In this blockbuster fantasy series, perfect for fans of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Iron Widow, fate binds two Black teenagers together as they journey into a magical jungle to hunt down a vicious monster.

“Rich in magic and mythos, Beasts of Prey is a feast for all the senses.” —Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Beautiful

An Instant New York Times and Indie Bestseller

There’s no such thing as magic in the broken city of Lkossa, especially for sixteen-year-old Koffi, who indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, knows the fearsome creatures in her care and paying off her…


Book cover of Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue
Book cover of Caps for Sale
Book cover of Rotten Island

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