One Hungry Monster: A Counting Book in Rhyme

by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe, Lynn Munsinger (Illustrator)

At bedtime a small boy tries to control ten insatiable monsters demanding food and creating chaos throughout the house

Genres: Picture Books, Counting, Childrens, Monsters, Number, Mathematics, Fantasy

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Mallory Dreiling · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm personally not a big fan of counting books, due to the fact that the plot-lines aren't as intricate and fun. This one describes all of the monsters hiding and counts them all. A good read for kids learning to count.

[Ingrid Sawubona · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Hungry Monster is a rhyming book for young readers that introduces them to the basics of counting.

A little boy encounters ten very naughty little monsters who invade his house in an attempt to get some food. But even though he feeds them; the unthankful critters mess up his house even more, and they treat him so badly that he finally throws a bit of a tantrum and ... well, enough said for now!

The story is delightful and full of fun and mischief, but make sure — if you can find it — to get the older unabridged version. It is by far better than the newer one.

[Akilah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun book for early years and KS1 children to engage with. I like this book and I would definately have it in my collection if I had to teach early years or KS1. This story is full of fun and mischief and has rhyming words which will enable the children to read along with the teacher. In addition, I like the fact that children can enjoy the storyline as well as the rhyming words, but they are also learning how to count up in ones. In addition, children are also subconsciously using maths(problem solving)whilst reading this book.

Good recommendation!

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hahahaha...hilarious!

[Adrian182 · Rating 4 out of 5]

O’Keefe, Susan. Munsinger, Lynn. One Hungry Monster (1989). Chosen for Counting option in concepts books. O’Keefe and Munsinger create a vivid tale of a boy who is confronted by a hungry monster, with one more coming every page until there are ten. It is told in rhyme, much like the beloved nursery rhyme “Ten Little Monkeys”, but told in ascending reverse. The art is wonderful and expressive, and the rhymes are very fluid, with a clear depiction of the monsters so that the reader or listener can stop and count. While it is for young children learning to count to ten, there are some difficult words such as sauerkraut and chandelier. The inclusion of these words can open up a discussion between a kindergarten teacher and their students, or a parent and their child, ultimately improving their vocabulary. The setting is the various locations in the young boy’s home where he brings different delicious delights for the monsters. Target audience- 3-6.

[Sadie Seney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the concept behind getting a child to read while also teaching them their basic counting and numbers is great in this book. What I don’t like about it is that since it has to go 1-10 there isn’t much room for creativity and imagination to be brought into the book. It is more repetitive and for the purpose of learning to count rather than for the enjoyment of the text itself.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Hungry Monster, A Counting Book in Rhymes, by Susan Hey per O'Keefe is a book I picked for a preschool readiness program that I wrote and directed during my career as a child development educator. Each child received a copy of this book as part of the goals to give each of them personal books in their home.

A copy was also part of my preschool classroom library. It is funny and the children asked for it often.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Lynn Munsinger's illustrations, so I was eager to read this board book while checking out the books in the children's section at our local library.

The humorous illustrations, the rhyming narrative, and the counting theme combine to make this a fun story to read aloud with children.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that this is first and foremost a fun story that also happens to have some counting. Great illustrations and rhymes about rude and messy monsters begging for a little boy to feed them. Nothing spooky or scary about these monsters, so great for any age.

[Jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heed the lessons of "Gremlins." No matter how cute, a monster should never be fed before bedtime.

[Tim Hackenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Very cute and funny. One of my favorites to read to the kids.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“One hungry monster underneath my bed, moaning and groaning and begging to be fed.”

Monsters, one through ten, come demanding food and the narrator obliges.

Cute illustrations.

[Grandma M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice rhyming counting book. Takes a bit of a weird turn.

[Alex Nemeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5 yo loves this book, we have been reading it for 3 years now!

[Stephen Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an instant hint with my preschool students. I read it to them four consecutive times!

Bravo Susan Heyboer O'Keefe!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book!

[Chris Hays · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is well done, but my son is not really impressed.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found in L4L Volume 25

[Ashley Cousin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book for younger readers that introduces them to counting. The book itself is a square smallish book that seems to be designed especially for small hands. The dust jacket has a bordered image with a boy and a monster sitting at a table. The title is bolded yellow and really stands out against the purple background. The hard cover is a red and the end pages are a baby blue, with the title page a red font. All colors are bright and fun that catches the readers eye. On the title page you see not only the title and author/illustrator but also the 10 hungry monsters on the bottom of the page carrying a different food. They seem to be walking into the story as readers flip the page. The illustrations are fun, brightly colored, cartoons that are typically above the text, with some exceptions where the text is above the pictures or intermingle in the illustration. The text is in dark black font with the number on each page bolded, to bring attention to the counting aspect of the book. This is another fun counting book that can engaged younger readers as they are learning to count.

[Marjorie Estavillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved One Hungry Monster: A Counting Book in Rhyme by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe. This book was about a little boy who encounters ten little monsters who are very very hungry. One by one they invade his house and he tries to get them out. They start in his room and into to his parents room and finally they make it downstairs to the kitchen. Once they are downstairs the little boy has to feed them. He brings out a ton of food for the ten little monsters. The monsters make a mess of his kitchen and dinning room and they don't clean up after themselves. Once they have eaten the little boy finally forces them to leave. This was really great book not only did it count from 1 to 10 monsters but it also counted the food 1 through 10. I also liked all the rhyming in this book. This book is silly and entertaining for children! There is so much you can do in a classroom with this book. When I am a teacher I want this book for my classroom!

[Brianne Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

"One Hungry Monster" is a counting picture book. The text is written in Singapore and the illustrations are done in watercolor and ink on watercolor paper. The images are displayed as cut-outs with no borders. On some pages montages are used by the illustrator to include several illustrations on the same page. Ten monsters are used to help children with counting. The illustrations are very playful, creative, and detailed. Also,the author uses a rhyming sequence throughout the story to make the text flow. The images are portrayed as an illustration sequence to convey chronological order. The endpages are a bright yellow that match the monsters' faces and feet. The chaotic and humorous illustrations do a good job at revealing the havoc the monsters are causing.

[Kierstyn Stanley]

It's time for bed but one little boy just isn't ready yet. All of a sudden, he hears a hungry monster in underneath his bed "wanting to be fed". This book follows one little boys adventure trying to control monsters who seem to be hungry and causing mayhem in his house. The story is told in rhyme.

When I was a child my grandparents and great-grandparents got tired of reading this book to me. The illustrations seem to come to life off of the pages and the thought that hungry monsters could cause so much trouble amused me. I also like how the book is rhymed. This could be used a introduction book to poetry for fourth graders or below. Although it is simplistic, to start out with poetry it would be a good choice. Well, I need to go read this book again!

[Lisa Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amusing and witty book deals with the concept of counting one through ten. This book was easy for my son to learn to count with because he knew that on each page, he only had to worry about counting how many monsters were on each page. The monsters were always doing something naughty that would induce many giggles from both of us. At the end of the book, the child then has the opportunity to count the various food items that the little boy ended up feeding the monsters. This is a very quick and easy read that children never tire of. The captivating and charming pictures in addition to the rhyming cadence of the story are a perfect fit for young children.

[Katey · Rating 5 out of 5]

CIP/Summary: A little boy tells the story of being beseiged by monsters in the middle of the night who won't leave until their bellies are full!

Review: One Hungry Monster is a counting book that teaches numbers and tells a story. The illustrations contain fun details for the readers and the rhyming language is entertaining for adults and children.

SLJ and Booklist both gave favorable reviews.

[Lauren McKinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a playfully written story. Not only does it teach you numbers and how to count, it shows you not to be afraid of silly monsters! the whole book is a rhyme and is very enjoyable to read. The rhymes are clever and the illustrations so fun and detailed. I read the book a couple times and always found new things to point out. This would be a great book to keep in a kindergarten classroom to help struggling readers and to teach them mathematics.

[Lele DeFilippo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book I have doesn't have a book jacket. Its red and the inside covers are a sky blue so I'm guessing its not a spooky story even thought it has a monster. The book is a portrait. It has blank page with nothing bu the title in red, and the word ONE is bolded. The illustrations are colorful and most of them aren't full bled. the text is plain but all the number words are bolded.

[Molly Mardany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book for the young ones. They get to practice their counting. I is small in size than a normal book.It is a square. The title is bright and really pops out. The picture of a boy and a monster draws you in because it is unusual. The title page is fun because you get to see all these different kinds of monsters.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Hungry Monster is a board book about a little boy who finds monsters in his house and he has to feed them to try to get rid of them.

This is the perfect children's book that tries to teach counting in a fun way. The pictures are very full and busy, which engages the child really well. The rhyming and counting is fun for the parents and the children.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this little board book monsters show up in a small boy’s house - hungry monsters trying to find yummy things to eat. In rhyme and humour, monsters are presented in counting format - one monster sticking his head out from under the bed, two monsters rummaging in the closet for sneakers to chew, and so on.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one we have is not the board book. The board book leaves out a big chunk of the rant, which is the best part of the book. "Get out, get out, I loudly shout, you ate my food and were quite rude, you put me in a nasty mood..." It's a toddler hit.