Bedtime Stories highlights Children’s Books with a diverse, global perspective.
Every night, when the owl hoots and the shadows of the trees dance on the walls, the Night Monster creeps into Avi’s room and frightens him. One day, his sister suggests he write a letter to the monster, and Avi’s nights are not the same anymore.
The Night Monster, released in the US in September of 2018 by Karadi Tales, a publishing company based in India, is beautifully written by Sushree Mishra and illustrated by Sanket Pethkar. I only wish I had a physical copy get the full measure of this wonderful story that explores fear and how you can conquer it, especially with loved ones lending a helping hand.
The Night Monster is as dark as one might expect from the title, but only when it comes to the rich hued multi-media illustrations of the fears of a little boy named Avi. “Avi was a brave boy during the day,” we are told, but at night, the darkness turns everything into a monster for him to fear. Luckily, Avi’s big sister, Swati, has a plan. The reason Avi is afraid at night is precisely because of his imagination, so when he strikes up correspondence with the Night Monster, he’s swept up into the story and finds out that the night isn’t so monstrous after all. Though I generally don’t approve of anyone lying to children, despite the best of intentions, Swati is only a child herself and her earnest desire to help her brother makes her plan forgivable. Because it is Swati who diligently takes on the role of the Night Monster until her brother’s fears are vanquished. This was honestly a delightful, though somewhat abruptly ended, story. The art picks up where the words leave off in a perfect balance so that you know exactly how Avi’s fears are manifesting and also how much of a safe harbor he finds in his sister’s love.
The Night Monster shows just how much power there can be in the imagination and the stories we tell – both for good (the letters) and ill (Avi’s fear). And I can’t think of a better way to share that with children than by reading this book with them. Suitable for children ages 4-9.
