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Even Monsters Say Good Night

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It's bedtime, and Avery hates bedtime. She is positive that there are monsters under her bed, expecially on Halloween. Where else would all of those monsters sleep? After a thorough discussion with her mom about the monster situation, Avery finally goes to her room. Does she dare check under the bed?

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2015

1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read

About the author

Doreen Mulryan Marts

19 books4 followers
she attended Carnegie Mellon University as a fine arts major, then moved on to New York's School of Visual Arts, where she received her degree in illustration and cartooning.

In between, she sold ice cream at Disney World and ran errands for MTV.

After graduation, she worked at Marvel Comics as a production assistant where she met her lovely husband. After a few years working alongside super heroes, she went on to do product design at Russ Berrie. Now, when she is not out on the lake she works as a freelance illustrator and designer from the comfort of her home (in fuzzy slippers)... with her 3 year old daughter P-Nut and puppy Baxter Blue Cheese by her side!

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Jay.
532 reviews29 followers
August 2, 2015
This ARC kindly provided by NetGalley on behalf of the publisher.

my boy thought this was a good one & joined in with the “goodnights” at the end. A good one for helping to alleviate the fear of monsters at bedtime.
Profile Image for Abigail.
8,023 reviews265 followers
October 12, 2018
When Avery is sent to bed on Halloween night, having been assured that all the monsters have also gone to bed, and that she has nothing to fear, the young girl just isn't sure. She gets out of bed to interrogate her mother, running through a list of creatures, from werewolves to vampires, and asking if they too have bedtimes. Her mother reassures her on each score, and Avery eventually returns to bed, no longer afraid of the creatures of the night...

Although I do appreciate the unique approach to the classic bedtime reassurance tale taken by author/illustrator Doreen Mulryan Marts in Even Monsters Say Goodnight, somehow the end product just didn't make that strong of an impression upon me, for either good or ill. Assuaging childhood fears of monsters by telling the child in question that those monsters also have to go to bed is not a method I have seen before, so kudos for that. Unfortunately, I found the text itself rather uninspiring, and didn't understand why the mother told Avery that vampires sleep during the day, on one page, but assured her on the next that ALL the creatures would be asleep at the same time that she (Avery) was, during the nighttime. Leaving aside that small contradiction, I also wasn't that impressed by the artwork here, finding it rather flat and unappealing. I can see why some readers would find this cute, but overall it isn't one I'd recommend.
Profile Image for Jillyn.
732 reviews
August 2, 2015
4.5 stars

As my regular readers know, I am a big fan of monsters, horror, and things that go bump in the night. When I stumbled across the picture book Even Monsters Say Goodnight, it just sounded too cute to pass up. I'm really glad I read this- this is a great bedtime book for younger readers and the parents who like classic monsters like Dracula. Also, especially little readers who are into things such as Monster High Dolls. I hope to read it to my own spooky gothlings.

There's a good message to tell here throughout the book, in the main character's quest to find the monsters under her bed on Halloween. It's a problem that a lot of kids deal with, so I think it's really relatable for most children. There's also a lot of ghoulies and ghosties in this stories that kids are familiar with, making that connection to the story that much greater.

What really stood out the most to me about this book is the illustrations. They're amazing! They have great use of color, and are amazingly detailed. I spent a good amount of time on each page, studying all of the little details that the illustrator drew into the pages. They match well with the text of the story.

I'd recommend this to younger bedtime kiddos from a rough age of 5-8. I think it's a good book especially for Halloween, but all year round too if you have an appreciation for things that go bump in the night.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.

Profile Image for Sharon Tyler.
2,815 reviews40 followers
July 15, 2015
Even Monsters Say Goodnight is a picturebook written and illustrated by Doreen Mulryan Marts. It is currently scheduled for release on August 1 2015. Avery hates bedtime, and she just knows that there are monsters under her bed. After a thorough discussion with her mom about the monster situation, Avery finally goes to her room. Does she dare check under the bed?

Even Monsters Say Goodnight is a sweet picturebook that most families can relate to. Whether a child is really frightened, or just stalling because they do not want to go to sleep, the notion of monsters has arisen in almost every home There is a nice use of story text and speech bubbles through the story, which paired wonderfully with the illustrations. I really liked those illustrations, they blended fantasy and reality very well. I loved the mother's description of how all monsters need to sleep too, and as Avery asks more questions mom comes up with the perfect answers. In fact, I might use some of them myself during bedtime arguments in the near future.

I think Even Monsters Say Goodnight is a wonderful book for bedtime and for sharing at any storytime, group or one on one. It might just be a good tool to quell you favorite kiddo's bedtime fears.
Profile Image for Bruce Gargoyle.
874 reviews140 followers
July 31, 2015
I received a digital copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley.

Ten Second Synopsis:
When Avery expresses concerns about where monsters might sleep on Halloween, her mother starts to explain the various sleeping habitats of all your favourite monsters. Who’d sleep under a kid’s bed when there are so many other places a monster could choose?

Muster up the motivation because:

This is a wonderful resource for parents of children who are scared of monsters under the bed. In fun, explanatory style Avery’s mother goes through a range of different monsters and explains where they sleep. As the monsters settle down in their abodes, so does little Avery and by the end even Halloween doesn’t seem so scary. The clever use of speech bubbles, text and pictures is appealing and overall this is a polished offering that should earn a regular place in the before-bed rotation.
Profile Image for Joan Gagan.
71 reviews20 followers
September 21, 2015
I did not like that the child, obviously concerned about monsters at night, is told vampires sleep during the day. On the very next page the parent summarizes that all monsters, including the vampire "are fast asleep too". Huh? Am I missing something here?
Profile Image for TK.
356 reviews33 followers
June 22, 2015
Great book for Halloween, gentle presentation makes it not scary for younger children. Nice story that was lots of fun to read. Think it would make a good storytime book.
arc from NetGalley
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,419 reviews8 followers
October 31, 2019
An enjoyable bedtime book for when your kids are afraid to go to sleep. Plus a bit of a parenting lesson on how to answer the incessant questions from the kiddos.
Profile Image for Thomas Bell.
1,904 reviews18 followers
October 10, 2021
I think the girl lives in a creepy neighborhood - no wonder she's scared.

Oh, and I would have been more scared after the mom mentions that the vampires are actually awake at night.
Profile Image for Jess at Such a Novel Idea.
597 reviews179 followers
April 25, 2015
I received a copy of this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in any way.

This review originally appeared on Such a Novel Idea.

This is EXACTLY the kind of book our family would own. In fact, we plan to add it to our collection as soon as it publishes. My children are absolutely obsessed with Halloween, monsters, and their miniature weenie dog, Sadie. So this book was RIGHT up their alley.

The book is a cute story about a girl named Avery who doesn't want to go to bed. She is worried about the monsters that might show up in the middle of the night. Her mom tells her the monsters all have a bedtime, but, of course, precocious Avery still has questions.

I liked how this book had narration mixed with the regular copy. When the characters were talking with talking bubbles, it was easy for my children to see who was talking, even if they didn't read all the words. I think this is good for beginning readers.

The artwork is incredible in this book. It seems like a mixed media, with some gorgeous painting and illustrating.

OF COURSE, our favorite part was the sleeping weenie dog on (almost) every page and the curious kitty who had so many adventures.

Overall, this was a really cute picture book that we'd love to own! If you have a child afraid of monsters, this is the perfect book to help them sleep easier.
Profile Image for Sarah -  All The Book Blog Names Are Taken.
2,420 reviews98 followers
May 2, 2017
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I definitely liked this one, both because it addresses being afraid of monsters and little ones not wanting to go to sleep. I am always looking for 'bedtime; books for my little one that we read together before lights out. There are two things that seemed a bit off though - Avery never really seemed scared of the monsters until the end when it actually says she wasn't scared anymore. It just seemed like she was a kiddo asking a lot of questions because she didn't want to go to sleep. The second thing that seemed off was that her mom told her vampires sleep during the day instead of at night, but a few pages later her mom tells her ALL the monsters (vampires included) are asleep now too. This might seem like something picky, and maybe some kiddos wouldn't notice, but some will, and then ask why they're asleep when her mom previously said they weren't. Aside from those two issues, I like the story and the illustrations were cute. I liked that it was a combination of text and speech bubbles, to give a bit of variety. Cute story.
Profile Image for Elaine - Splashes Into Books.
3,884 reviews136 followers
May 25, 2015
A beautifully illustrated picture book telling the story of Avery who doesn’t want to go to bed on Hallowe’en because she fears there are monsters about. Her Mum reassures her telling her where all those monsters will be sleeping and so Avery is able to say goodnight to them all and go to sleep.

This story is told through a variety of images, text and speech bubbles and certainly makes the monsters seem much less frightening! Aimed at children aged 3 to 7 years old, the images will also help them relate to the message that monsters aren’t so bad, after all.

Teachers could use this story to help reassure pupils, to prompt discussions and stimulate creativity as children could design the beds, bedrooms or homes for all the monsters cited - or create their own! I would also consider getting pupils to write their own version of this story but entitled ‘Even Humans say Goodnight’, thinking of ways to help monster children get to sleep when they are afraid of humans. A fun story and lots of ways it could be shared and used in schools.

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Autumn.
2,366 reviews47 followers
June 1, 2015
We received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.

Not only is this a good book to read any time it is going to be a good book to read at Halloween time as well. Avery doesn't like bedtime (sounds like my son) so she asks her mom about the different kind of monsters on if they sleep. Which in turn her mom has an answer on each monster that is asked. Ghosts sleep in mansion, vampires during the day and so forth. Really cute and I love how Avery asks questions and her mother would answer, I think that is cute when kids ask things like this that they need an answer to. At the end Avery learns that the monsters are not scary and are not under her bed as they all tell her good night at the end.
The only thing that the author may want to do is reword the part about the vampire. The mom says well vampires sleep during the day and are awake at night then later on she says the vampire is sleeping and it is dark time. I am sure this won't bother most kids but some may catch on that Avery was told two different things.
The pictures are cute and go perfect with the story.
Profile Image for Carla.
7,655 reviews178 followers
July 13, 2015
Avery doesn't like bedtime so she asks her mom about the different kind of monsters and if they sleep. Which in turn her mom has an answer to each question. Ghosts sleep in mansion, vampires during the day etc. At the end Avery learns that the monsters are not scary and are not under her bed as they all tell her good night at the end. Children should watch for the little dog and cat throughout the story who are having little adventures.
This story is told through a variety of images, text and speech bubbles and certainly makes the monsters seem much less frightening! Aimed at children aged 3 to 7 years old, the images which were bright and fun will also help them relate to the message that monsters aren’t so bad, after all.

The one part I noticed immediately as I read the book, was that her mother told her Vampires sleep in the day, then said all the monsters were asleep at night. A bright child would pick up on that right away.

Thank you Netgalley and Capstone for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Candice.
383 reviews14 followers
May 17, 2015
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is my honest review:

This is one of the cutest bedtime stories I've seen in a while. My daughter has a hard time with monsters and truly believes they are real. This book was perfect for her at 5. Avery is a little girl who is afraid of monsters. She is terrified that they sleep under her bed and this particular night she is extra scared. It's Halloween and she is very worried. Each time she tries to go to sleep she thinks about all the monsters and has to discuss them with her mother. She asks all types of questions and her mother fields each one. This is a story that helped my little girl not be afraid to go to sleep. The book was visually stimulating and well written. Thank you!
Profile Image for Li Or.
185 reviews21 followers
May 8, 2015
This would be a good book for children who are afraid that monsters will come into their rooms at night because it reassures children that monsters go to sleep in their own homes in their own beds at night so wouldn't possibly be in the child's bedroom!

I think families who are big halloween fans, and fans of spooky things would particularly like this book.

My one quibble was that the Mom in the book tells her daughter vampires sleep during the day instead of at night and I do wonder if that may lead some clever kids to say "So they're awake at night and COULD be under my bed at night?"

That aside, the artwork is adorable and really well done and overall this is a sweet book.

- - -

I was kindly given this book for honest reviewing purposes
Profile Image for Matthew.
2,890 reviews52 followers
May 12, 2015
The story of an extremely patient and creative mother, who only really wants her daughter, Avery, to go to bed at a reasonable hour on Halloween night. Of course, her daughter is more concerned that all the monsters that come out on Halloween night are still out and on the prowl, but in true motherly fashion, Avery's mother has an answer for every question. It turns out, much to Avery's relief, that every monster has a place to sleep as well, and none of those places are anywhere near Avery's bedroom. This is a nice comfort story for the child whose imagination is too active to let him or her drift off after an adventurous evening of trick-or-treating. It's simple, but reassuring. Nicely done.
Profile Image for Breonna.
37 reviews
April 22, 2015
When I do these reviews on picture books I like to review as I read so I can get real time opinions on it. It saves me time on flagging and bookmarking comments on Adobe Digital and then having to go back and bleh bleh bleh.

D'AWWWW is my first thought on the cover. Look at the cute witch and cute mummy and cute dracula :D

Also, the weiny dog is a-dorable! I also really like the font. It stands out on it's own and would catch a lot of kids attention.

To read the rest of this review head on over to http://thisonegirlsbookbrain.blogspot...

See ya there!
Profile Image for Jim.
1,790 reviews66 followers
December 1, 2015
A good book for a Halloween night.

Avery is scared of monsters under her bed and in her closet. Don’t all kids know that monsters can’t hurt you if you hide under your covers?? Somebody needs to tell Avery that.

A cute story, with cute art, stepping through where the various monsters are sleeping. Some books work on so many levels, capturing children’s interest and captivating adults with their creativity. This book is mainly for kids. Except for one skeleton joke, there’s not a lot here to make the adults chuckle.

Which brings up the question. What do monsters think is under their bed?

Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for a copy in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for Angel.
Author 1 book9 followers
April 21, 2015
This is a beautifully illustrated story of Avery, who wonders where the monsters are at night. On Halloween night, she is sure the monsters are still around and possibly under her bed and in her closet, so she gets back up after being put to bed to ask her mom if the monsters go to bed. Mom goes through the monsters and where they sleep. Then Avery feels more comfortable and tells the monsters goodnight. For young kids who creep themselves out and love monsters, this is a great book! Simple and fun. ARC copy from Netgalley and Capstone for review.
Profile Image for Jayna.
1,267 reviews12 followers
May 17, 2015
This is a cute Halloween picture book about a little girl, Avery, who is afraid to go to bed because of monsters. Her mother explains that monsters sleep, too. Eventually she is no longer afraid and all of the monsters tell her goodnight.

This would be a good choice for children afraid of monsters, or simply a good Halloween book.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Megan McGee.
11 reviews1 follower
October 10, 2015
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I loved the concept of this book- even monsters have bedtimes. I wanted to love it. Unfortunately, the mix of story text and speech bubbles really took away from story. It seemed to slow the story down, and I feel like it would be difficult to hold the attention of young readers.
Profile Image for Lindsey Lawntea.
884 reviews17 followers
September 11, 2022
Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.
248 reviews
August 7, 2015
The perfect book for the child that loves Halloween stories anytime of the year. Makes a great quick story before bedtime - and the monsters even say goodnight.

Received a copy for review from Netgalley.
Profile Image for Alexandria.
864 reviews19 followers
April 19, 2016
This is an adorably illustrated creep-cute book about a little girl who wonders if monsters say goodnight and how exactly they do it. As someone who was once a little girl with similar questions, I was absolutely tickled by this book. I will be buying a copy for our bookshelves as soon as I can!
Profile Image for Melissa.
1,227 reviews13 followers
June 17, 2016
Cute story, even cuter monsters and a girl who is a lot like my son! Loved this book and shared it with my kids who loved it and had to read it more than once!

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley.
Profile Image for Brandy Wilkes.
280 reviews13 followers
April 28, 2015
Cute picture book. Might even be a useful tool to get kids to settle down and maybe not be so scared of the dark and the "mosnters" that lurk there.
Profile Image for Kelly Bolduc.
80 reviews1 follower
May 30, 2015
I thought it was a very nice read but wished there had been more to read out loud, we breezed right through it in 3 minutes. The art was very well done, nice bright colors and thickly drawn lines.
Profile Image for Alyx Campbell.
212 reviews2 followers
February 12, 2016
It was okay - I liked the cat that appeared again and the monsters looked friendly. But a bit cliche and the text bubbles were more distracting than supporting the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews

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