Nearly all children have fears to conquer. Many of them are things that go bump in the night!
The following are four new scary books, full of ghosts, monsters and beasts. They'll be sure to tickle a funny bone at the same time they give help on how to control a fear or two.IS THAT A MONSTER, ALFIE ALKINS? Gunnilla Bergstrom, R and S Books, distributed by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1989. $6.95.
"There's a monster under the bed.
A huge wild monster . . .
Alfie knows it's there . . . "
The monster came after Alfie smacked a little boy in the nose and made it bleed. Every night the monster lies there. It sighs, turns and stirs. They both sleep badly.
When Alfie finally finds the little boy and realizes that he is fine, the monster disappears.
This is a fascinating story both in the text and illustration. Some of the meaning might have been lost in the translation from Danish, but the inference is there; clearing one's conscience is the best thing.
The illustrations - impressionistic pen-and-ink sketches combined with collage - are a powerful combination to make a thoughtful story. But a bit scary, too.
WHO'S AFRAID OF THE GHOST TRAIN? Frank Rodgers. Gulliver Books, Harcourt Brace Javanovich, Publishers. 1989. $12.95.
Robert has a big imagination. He thinks things pop out of dark corners, from under beds and in the bathroom. Then Grandpa tells him how to tame the beasts, and Robert imagines how these ghosts would look the first thing in the morning. ". . . there's nothing as funny as a monster in his T-shirt and undershorts!"
This is a great book for children who really do hear bumps in the night and need a way to defuse the fear.
THE HIDING BEAST Robert Richardson. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1989. $13.95.
Rodney sees the huge hairy beast, 10 feet tall with burning eyes and a red, shiny nose. This monster runs away, leaving cookie crumbs in the attic. Is it imagination or just a game?
"The Hiding Beast" leaves much room for the reader to find solutions to the mystery of the beast. The text concludes with, "Nobody knows. Nobody knows."
As in the other two books, the child protagonist is in control to the end. A pleasing story to help children master some of their beastly fears.
JACK AND THE MONSTER Richard Graham. Illustrations by Susan Varley. Houghton Mifflin Company. 1989. $13.95.
Jack's monster goes bump in the night, but it also goes "Waa-aa" and has no teeth. It gurgles, demands much attention from parents, aunts and uncles.
This is a delightful story of another kind of fear that a child must conquer - his being replaced by a baby who indeed sometimes messes things up like a monster.
The antics of children are captured truly in these delightful drawings, which make it one to read over and over again.