"Plan your own monster run. Check every corner and dark place, make lots of noise, and then really chase them out of the child’s room, down the hall and out the door. Don’t forget to slam it closed." ~MyLinda Butterworth

Nicole is frightened of the dark and has a great imagination. She is terribly afraid of all the monsters crawling out from under her bed. Her mother buys a nightlight, but after the lights are turned out, Nicole notices that some of the clothes on the floor look scary. Are they clothes or monsters?

MyLinda Butterworth is a professional storyteller and loves to visit schools, libraries, festivals and bookstores. She is also the author of "Frogazoom." I love her writing style and here is an example:

"Carefully she peeked out from under her covers to see if they had gone, but there were even more of them. They were opening doors and slinking out from under her bed. Even her toys were dancing."

One night Nicole’s grandma and grandfather arrive for a visit. Nicole goes to bed but later cries about monsters being in her bedroom. Her grandfather tells her they can get rid of the monsters and then proceeds to yell: "Any monsters under the bed, you better get out!" Soon Nicole joins in and helps to chase the monsters out the door. Soon Nicole is happily asleep in a room full of love.

I remember still being afraid of the dark in my 20s, so I can completely understand the fear of the dark especially after watching a scary movie. Now I see night as even more beautiful than the day and actually enjoy walking around my house with the lights off because it is so peaceful as the moonlight filters through the windows.

Most children do experience a fear of the dark or a fear of monsters in a closet. Let us not even talk about monsters under the bed or why I now have a bed that is flat on the floor. For my entire life, since I can remember I used to walk near a bed and imagine someone reaching out and grabbing my ankle. This must have resulted from some childhood incident and may have involved my naughty younger brother.

Matthew Mercer’s art fills the pages with beautiful creative interpretations of monsters and little Nicole. The picture of her in the room filled with monsters is not overly frightening and may even make children giggle. He worked at Disney as a caricature artist and almost made me feel sorry for the poor little monsters that had to leave the house.

A Delightful and Comforting story that will help children fall asleep faster, especially if you chase the monsters out too.

—Rebecca Johnson
TheRebeccaReview.com