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I Want To Be In A Scary Story
From the team behind the acclaimed Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise comes a very scary read-aloud story . . . or is it? Monster wants to be in a scary story - but is he brave enough? Scary stories have creepy witches and creaky stairs and dark hallways and spooky shadows. . . Oh my goodness me! That is very scary. Maybe, a funny story would be better after all? Brilliantly interactive, children will delight in the wickedly funny turn-of-the-pages, see themselves in the goofy, unconventional monster, and revel in the bold, hilarious illustration of celebrated graphic artist, Jean Jullien. Author BiographySean Taylor has written more than 40 books for young readers. These include picture books such as Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise, illustrated by Jean Jullien, Where the Bugaboo Lives, illustrated by Neal Layton, The World Champion of Staying Awake, illustrated by Jimmy Liao, A Brave Bear, illustrated by Emily Hughes and Don't Call Me Choochie Pooh, illustrated by Kate Hindley. He lives in Bristol with his wife and two sons. Find Sean online at www. seantaylorstories. com and on twitter as @seantstories. Originally from Nantes, France, Jean Jullien is an illustrator who works with a vast range of media including illustration, photography, installations and clothing. He graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2008 and from the Royal College of Art in 2010. In 2011, he founded Jullien Brothers, specializing in moving image. His clients include Waterstones, the Tate, Channel 4, Byron Burger, The New York Times and the Guardian; he also regularly exhibits his work in France and in London. His picture books include Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise, written by Sean Taylor, and Ralf. Find Jean online at www. jeanjullien. com and on Twitter and Instagram as @jean_jullien. - I Want To Be In A Scary Story Picture Book By Sean Taylor (Hardback)
48 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2017
7 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Sean Taylor
176 books2 followersLibrarian note:
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Sean Taylor - Children's Books
Sean Taylor - Short Stories, Comics & Graphic Novels, Horror
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There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name
For other authors of this name, see:
Sean Taylor - Children's Books
Sean Taylor - Short Stories, Comics & Graphic Novels, Horror
Sean Taylor - Fiction, Creative, Whimsical
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
September 18, 2018
Book reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
Little Monster decides he wants to be in a scary story. The narrator tries to convince him to be in a funny story instead but he decides that he only wants to be in a scary story.
The narrator places him in a dark and scary forest with an old scary looking house. Monster decides that that was too scary, so the narrator takes away the dark, scary forest and leaves just the house, but that is too scary as well.
Throughout the book, the narrator places the monster in lots of scary situations and with scary people but he doesn’t like any of them. Then he has an idea. He’s a monster and surely he can scare the narrator.
This book is a whole lot of fun and I can see little children loving every minute of it. The book reads as if you, the reader, are the narrator and Little Monster is talking to you. Monster is so amusing. He wants to be in a scary story but it would seem he is scared of everything.
The text is written in two different colours black for the narrator and purple for Monster so you can never mix up who is talking. The font is also clear and large and the sentences are kept short so little children can use this book to practice/learn to read with it.
The illustrations are full page and bring the book to life. They add so much enjoyment to the story and those that can’t quite read yet can actually follow the story via the drawings.
This book is just wonderful and would make a great story for a class read as much as it would do to have at home. I can see this being a book that is asked to be read over and over again.
Little Monster decides he wants to be in a scary story. The narrator tries to convince him to be in a funny story instead but he decides that he only wants to be in a scary story.
The narrator places him in a dark and scary forest with an old scary looking house. Monster decides that that was too scary, so the narrator takes away the dark, scary forest and leaves just the house, but that is too scary as well.
Throughout the book, the narrator places the monster in lots of scary situations and with scary people but he doesn’t like any of them. Then he has an idea. He’s a monster and surely he can scare the narrator.
This book is a whole lot of fun and I can see little children loving every minute of it. The book reads as if you, the reader, are the narrator and Little Monster is talking to you. Monster is so amusing. He wants to be in a scary story but it would seem he is scared of everything.
The text is written in two different colours black for the narrator and purple for Monster so you can never mix up who is talking. The font is also clear and large and the sentences are kept short so little children can use this book to practice/learn to read with it.
The illustrations are full page and bring the book to life. They add so much enjoyment to the story and those that can’t quite read yet can actually follow the story via the drawings.
This book is just wonderful and would make a great story for a class read as much as it would do to have at home. I can see this being a book that is asked to be read over and over again.
October 16, 2017
This year, the new Halloween picture book you should take home to mummy is “I Want to Be in a Scary Story,” by Sean Taylor. Presented as a conversation between Little Monster and the narrator, it’s a book that insists upon dramatic reading:
“I want to be in a SCARY story,” Little Monster announces with his big purple head and yellow eyes.
“A funny story might be more fun,” the narrator advises.
“Not for me, it won’t be!” Little Monster insists.
And so the story begins, as requested, “in a dark and scary forest.” But almost immediately Little Monster requests modifications.
Gosh, does it have to be a whole scary forest? Couldn’t it just be a spooky house?
A witch, really? How about a ghost instead?
Honestly, it’s a hoot, and Jean Jullien’s big-brush illustrations are as cute as a basket of werewolf cubs. Long before school forces them to learn a bunch of dead literary terms, you’ll be teaching your little fiends about tone, dramatic irony and narrative structure. But don’t mention any of that on Halloween. Nothing drives a stake through the heart of a great book like turning it into a lesson. Just read it — and howl together.
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
“I want to be in a SCARY story,” Little Monster announces with his big purple head and yellow eyes.
“A funny story might be more fun,” the narrator advises.
“Not for me, it won’t be!” Little Monster insists.
And so the story begins, as requested, “in a dark and scary forest.” But almost immediately Little Monster requests modifications.
Gosh, does it have to be a whole scary forest? Couldn’t it just be a spooky house?
A witch, really? How about a ghost instead?
Honestly, it’s a hoot, and Jean Jullien’s big-brush illustrations are as cute as a basket of werewolf cubs. Long before school forces them to learn a bunch of dead literary terms, you’ll be teaching your little fiends about tone, dramatic irony and narrative structure. But don’t mention any of that on Halloween. Nothing drives a stake through the heart of a great book like turning it into a lesson. Just read it — and howl together.
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...
November 3, 2017
Some big, bold, bright illustrations and lovely storytelling. You can't help but love the cheeky, naive Little Monster. An excellent book for reading to a class.
October 3, 2017
I like the way the font is different colours to show when the monster is talking (purple as the little monster is purple) and when the narrator is talking. I also like that some of the words are in capitals for emphasis. Lovely pictures
October 3, 2017
The cutest, innocent, gappy mouthed monster! Would be a good book to read around Halloween as could then create there own monsters!
March 19, 2020
The little monster in this sweet and spooky picture-book declares that he wants to be in a scary story, and won't listen to the narrator, who tells him that a funny story might be more fun. Back and forth the two go, the little monster becoming very afraid of the witches and spooks he meets, until it is revealed that what he really wants is to be the scary element of a scary story. It seems that this is not to be however, especially when he runs into a great ape, but sometimes appearances can be deceptive...
I enjoyed this meta-fictional picture-book romp from British author Sean Taylor and French illustrator Jean Jullien, who have also collaborated on Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise . The use of different colored ink - black for the narrator, and purple for the little monster - helps to differentiate the two voices in the story, while the bright, colorful artwork captures the sense of fun throughout. The surprise ending, in which , will leave young readers with a pleasant thrill. Recommended to anyone looking for spooky picture-books where the frights are of a gentle, humorous nature.
I enjoyed this meta-fictional picture-book romp from British author Sean Taylor and French illustrator Jean Jullien, who have also collaborated on Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise . The use of different colored ink - black for the narrator, and purple for the little monster - helps to differentiate the two voices in the story, while the bright, colorful artwork captures the sense of fun throughout. The surprise ending, in which , will leave young readers with a pleasant thrill. Recommended to anyone looking for spooky picture-books where the frights are of a gentle, humorous nature.
October 31, 2017
I liked the comical value of this book and I could see it going down a treat in KS1 in particular. The indecisive, light hearted plot is pulled off well. The unconventional narrator-character dialogue was one that I feel would be appreciated more by KS1. As books go it kind of reminded me of "The three pigs" by David Wiesner where the characters take the plot into their own hands (just a little less trippy).
May 26, 2021
This story is very nice .
This story is not scary.
And read 📚this story.
This story is not scary.
And read 📚this story.
October 27, 2021
This book is a fabulous read aloud. It is perfect for fluency lessons in the library, at home, or in the classroom. First, I read the book like a bored teenager forced to babysit and increasingly bummed and ornery monster. Then, I read the book like a patient, loving adult and an excited, funny preschool monster. I never changed a single word of the book. It was amazing how much impact this had on my students' understanding of fluency. Plus, this book is just plain fun.
November 7, 2019
Sean Taylor brings us a quirky story that definitely makes us look at picture books in another way. Through a conversational writing style between author/narrator and the monster we get to hear all about this little monster's desire to be part of a scary story. The monster is set on not being part of a funny story yet the way Taylor creates the scary story for the monster he is creating a funny story for us. This book breaks conventions in a subtle way and even the monster enjoys it, so much so that at the end he wants to be in another story!
The illustrations are really effective in this book support this idea of constructing a story very well. When the monster is expressing his desire to be in a story and the author is telling him what it would entail, the pages are white with no pictures other than the monster. Yet when putting the story together, the illustrations become full page bleeds which gives the impression that the monster is jumping in and out of his own story and taking us with him at the same time. Alongside this, the monster has speech bubbles whilst 'in' his story as though he is reacting to the scene he's been put into which is where the humour aspect comes in and is then woven throughout the book in the same way.
The illustrations are really effective in this book support this idea of constructing a story very well. When the monster is expressing his desire to be in a story and the author is telling him what it would entail, the pages are white with no pictures other than the monster. Yet when putting the story together, the illustrations become full page bleeds which gives the impression that the monster is jumping in and out of his own story and taking us with him at the same time. Alongside this, the monster has speech bubbles whilst 'in' his story as though he is reacting to the scene he's been put into which is where the humour aspect comes in and is then woven throughout the book in the same way.
October 31, 2017
This picture book breaks the fourth wall in that by the end of the story the character of the monster seems to control the story towards the end, almost in a dialogue with the reader. It is a fun story particularly for KS1 children. This could also help children understand the use and purpose of speech and speech bubbles in writing as well as the use of exclamations and postmodern strategies which they could use in their own writing and storytelling.
October 31, 2017
The character in this book wants to be in a scary story. There is lots of dialogue between the young character who wants to be in a scary story and the person who is writing the story. The young character also controls what happens in the story by voicing their opinion of what they want to do - and has elements of the forth wall. This technique is not used very often in books and it is a great book. The book also has fantastic illustrations which are very appealing and colourful.
September 23, 2017
A cute, small purple monster wants to be in a scary story. Our narrator tries to talk him into being in a funny story. That doesn't work.
Guess what? Our cute, small purple monster keeps getting scared in this scary story, until he figures out if he does the scaring maybe he won't be scared!
It's not really a Halloween book, but it will surely work for an October storytime. :)
Guess what? Our cute, small purple monster keeps getting scared in this scary story, until he figures out if he does the scaring maybe he won't be scared!
It's not really a Halloween book, but it will surely work for an October storytime. :)
October 16, 2019
I want to be in a scary story is about a purple monster who wants to be in a scary story. The book involves conversation questions and speech bubbles which get children to think about and explore language. The book is funny which makes it entertaining and enjoyable for young children. The images are dark and made up of simple shapes creating a creepy atmosphere.
July 11, 2017
I can see this one being pretty popular in an October story time. Not incredibly groundbreaking but fun. Very fun.
October 31, 2017
Read in english seminar.
Good for children to understand that you can talk in different narratives - breaks the traditional form.
Children will find it funny
Good for children to understand that you can talk in different narratives - breaks the traditional form.
Children will find it funny
August 15, 2017
Hilarious and smart! I will be using this for a Halloween storytime for sure!
February 5, 2018
Think of the Elephant and Piggie "We are in a book" where the narrator is communicating with the character in the story. Love it! So cute and well done.
November 12, 2017
Dead cute little monster wants to be in a scary story but it's too scary. That big creepy castle and the ghost ooooooooo. So changes will have to be made.
October 2, 2017
This gets four stars for its solid use of "jeepers creepers".
December 27, 2017
This would make a funny read aloud.
Read
May 19, 2018Re-read May 2018: I picked this book again last night and Mommy read it to me. She used a British accent for the narrator, which made me laugh.
Re-read April 2018: I picked this book the other night; Daddy read it to me.
Originally read September 2017: We all loved Hoot Owl, the first book by Taylor and Jullien, so we were excited to see this one and had to buy it! We've read it many times in the short time we've owned it. These two are great at interactive, engaging stories that have to be read over and over (and do NOT get any less enjoyable for the adults reading them aloud!).
Re-read April 2018: I picked this book the other night; Daddy read it to me.
Originally read September 2017: We all loved Hoot Owl, the first book by Taylor and Jullien, so we were excited to see this one and had to buy it! We've read it many times in the short time we've owned it. These two are great at interactive, engaging stories that have to be read over and over (and do NOT get any less enjoyable for the adults reading them aloud!).
February 26, 2020
Plenty of humor in this book about the little monster. He wants to be in a scary story but not too scary. Readers will relate to and enjoy his struggle to find just the right story to tell. Parents will relate to and appreciate the narrator as they attempt to find a story that works.
September 22, 2017
Summary: Little Monster loves stories, especially stories he is in. The writer and Little Monster work together to create the perfect story just for him. This Little Monster is not like most monsters, he does not want to be in a typical scary story. Sometimes he can’t make up his mind. Read on to find out just what kind of story Little Monster wants. Explore different narrative genres and watch the creative writing process develop in this cute Halloween beginning reader’s book.
Evaluation: This story does a wonderful job presenting and illustrating the conversation between Little Monster and the writer. The inter-dialog between the two main characters is obvious to the reader because of the font color and supporting illustrations. The indecisive vision Little Monster has for his story changes several times throughout the book. This represents the creative writing process as a developing system of ideas and intentions. At the end, Little Monster gets his very own perfect story that he can share with readers and inspire them to create their own visions as well.
Teaching Point: This cute and funny story is a great beginning reader book to share with elementary students as a warm welcome into the Halloween holiday. The author Sean Taylor does a fantastic job sharing the joy of creating a story from scratch. The conversations between the writer and Little Monster give readers a glimpse into the vast world of creative writing. This book could be used in the elementary classroom setting as an English Language Arts lesson on creative writing and supportive illustrations. The illustrator, Jean Jullien makes it easy for readers to relate to Little Monster and his indecisive directions for his story. Every other page is a close-up of Little Monster as if he is talking to the reader themselves. These drawings help readers feel a part of the conversation in the text. In between those pages are the detailed illustrations of the following stories. This book will teach readers that writing any story takes time and plenty of thought and that is okay – it is a personal process.
Evaluation: This story does a wonderful job presenting and illustrating the conversation between Little Monster and the writer. The inter-dialog between the two main characters is obvious to the reader because of the font color and supporting illustrations. The indecisive vision Little Monster has for his story changes several times throughout the book. This represents the creative writing process as a developing system of ideas and intentions. At the end, Little Monster gets his very own perfect story that he can share with readers and inspire them to create their own visions as well.
Teaching Point: This cute and funny story is a great beginning reader book to share with elementary students as a warm welcome into the Halloween holiday. The author Sean Taylor does a fantastic job sharing the joy of creating a story from scratch. The conversations between the writer and Little Monster give readers a glimpse into the vast world of creative writing. This book could be used in the elementary classroom setting as an English Language Arts lesson on creative writing and supportive illustrations. The illustrator, Jean Jullien makes it easy for readers to relate to Little Monster and his indecisive directions for his story. Every other page is a close-up of Little Monster as if he is talking to the reader themselves. These drawings help readers feel a part of the conversation in the text. In between those pages are the detailed illustrations of the following stories. This book will teach readers that writing any story takes time and plenty of thought and that is okay – it is a personal process.
November 15, 2018
This is a funny book which kids will enjoy and could relate to. Little Monster wants to be in a story, a scary story. But is he really sure he wants to be in something that scary? The paperback is a bit bigger than A4 in size and is filled with thick matt pages of colourful illustrations and large text.
The story is a simple one and I like how Little Monster is talking to us through the book. The text is in two colours, black for the narrator and purple when Little Monster is speaking (the same colour as him). The tale is so simple, Little Monster wants to be in a scary story, but once put into a scary setting it feels too scary for him, so the narrator keeps changing the story to suit what Little Monster wants. However there are twists, Little Monster keeps wanting the story to change, but it doesn’t quite change the way he had hoped and there is a very fun and big twist at the end of the story too.
The illustrations are very big and follow Halloween type colours and they are very bold and fun. Little Monster and his cute teeth and expressions are fun to look at and I’m sure the images are very engaging for many kids. Although the big twist is funny, and kids will enjoy the fun ending, even reading it aloud, I don’t know if it’s a book everyone will love. For me personally, although it’s funny, it just didn’t excite me as much as other books, and that’s the only reason why I haven’t given it a five out of five.
Overall the story is funny and I think younger children will love this, especially if they can relate to Little Monster, but for me it just wasn’t as good as I had hoped.
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy for review.
The story is a simple one and I like how Little Monster is talking to us through the book. The text is in two colours, black for the narrator and purple when Little Monster is speaking (the same colour as him). The tale is so simple, Little Monster wants to be in a scary story, but once put into a scary setting it feels too scary for him, so the narrator keeps changing the story to suit what Little Monster wants. However there are twists, Little Monster keeps wanting the story to change, but it doesn’t quite change the way he had hoped and there is a very fun and big twist at the end of the story too.
The illustrations are very big and follow Halloween type colours and they are very bold and fun. Little Monster and his cute teeth and expressions are fun to look at and I’m sure the images are very engaging for many kids. Although the big twist is funny, and kids will enjoy the fun ending, even reading it aloud, I don’t know if it’s a book everyone will love. For me personally, although it’s funny, it just didn’t excite me as much as other books, and that’s the only reason why I haven’t given it a five out of five.
Overall the story is funny and I think younger children will love this, especially if they can relate to Little Monster, but for me it just wasn’t as good as I had hoped.
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy for review.
September 6, 2019
This story is about a little purple monster who wants to be in a scary story. The narrator suggests being in a funny story, but the monster is firm on scary. The narrator makes that happen, but the monster gets too scared. The story continues with a spooky story that is too spooky for the monster, so the monster becomes the scarer instead of the one being scared. Now, this will be more fun for the monster. The monster leaves the story and disappears from the narrator in the dark and scary forest. It ends will all of the monsters from the previous scary stories jump out and scare the narrator which was funny for the monster. The monster then asks to be in another story for tomorrow, since he enjoyed the one he did today!
This was a very cute story! Not so much Halloween, but could definitely be read during the Halloween season. I loved how silly this book was with the cute purple monster.
This could be used in a classroom to encourage imagination and creativity for each story! I would recommend this book.
This was a very cute story! Not so much Halloween, but could definitely be read during the Halloween season. I loved how silly this book was with the cute purple monster.
This could be used in a classroom to encourage imagination and creativity for each story! I would recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2017
In this delightful story, Little Monster wants to be in a story. Preferably, a scary story and not a funny story. But when he sees the scary setting with the dark, haunted house and creepy woods, he's not so sure. As the story continues, Little Monster keeps having the narrator adjust the story because he's scared. Finally, he decides that maybe a funny story would be best after all. But his version of what's funny and the narrator's don't exactly match up, leading to a surprising conclusion. I enjoy stories like this one, where the main character and the narrator interact, but only when it's well done. Enough of these stories have already been done that it needs a fresh approach to make the book stand out. Focusing this story on scary versus funny helps provide that freshness, as does a couple of the twists and turns the story takes. This is a fun book that is bound to be both a little scary and a little funny, a perfect read-aloud for Halloween.
December 30, 2017
A little purple monster tells an unseen author that he wants to be in a scary story. The only problem is that every time the author begins a story, it’s too scary for little purple monster. The dark and scary forest, the spooky house, witch inside the spooky house, the ghost inside the spooky house all prove to be too much for little purple monster. Maybe it would be better if little purple monster were in a funny story about a tweet-weeny monkey and his friend - a ginormous monkey. Scared, the little monster runs off, but in the end, he’s the guy in a scary story who get the last laugh. And, yes, little purple monster wants to be in another story the next day.
Julien’s bold ink and digitally colored illustrations done in a palette of Halloween colors add lots of scary ambience to the story. Though the word Halloween is no where to be found, this is a perfect story to read around that time, but it works year round, too.
Julien’s bold ink and digitally colored illustrations done in a palette of Halloween colors add lots of scary ambience to the story. Though the word Halloween is no where to be found, this is a perfect story to read around that time, but it works year round, too.
September 26, 2017
Set up as a back-and-forth discussion between Little Monster and someone else who is presumably in charge (the narrator? the author?), this is a great book for new readers to alternate with a more experienced reader or for reader's theater. The large text alternates between purple (Little Monster) and black (author). It can also can work as a read-aloud, especially for Halloween, though this is not a specific Halloween book. There is a lot to talk about with regard to expectations and communication.
Little Monster wants to be in a scary story, but when the author provides a few openings, they are a bit TOO scary. Eventually, Little Monster explains the desire to be the one to do the scaring. The author still has a surprise for Little Monster, not matching expectations again. Finally, Little Monster has the last laugh at the author's expense.
Little Monster wants to be in a scary story, but when the author provides a few openings, they are a bit TOO scary. Eventually, Little Monster explains the desire to be the one to do the scaring. The author still has a surprise for Little Monster, not matching expectations again. Finally, Little Monster has the last laugh at the author's expense.
October 16, 2017
Little Monster wants to be a story so badly that the narrator tries to create different scenarios to realize Little Monster's dream. However, Little Monster is scared by the story with the dark and scary forest, a scary witch, a ghost, and a monkey and his gigantic friend. Even though scarred, Little Monster finds a way to scare every scary character he meets before! This book is good to read to children particularly when Halloween is approaching. Many children might be associated with Little Monster who wants to scare others instead of being scared. Incorporating metafictive devices, the author makes the narrator becomes one of the characters to converse with Little Monster so as to move the story forward! Illustrations are with simple lines and colors with the vividly portrayal of Little Monster's facial expression!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews