Mr. Underbed

by Chris Riddell

All the various inhabitants of Jim's closet, drawers, toy chest, and other places in his room come out and go to sleep in Jim's bed leaving no room for Jim.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Monsters, Humor, Fantasy, Friendship

28 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Chris Riddell was born in Cape Town, South Africa, where his father was an Anglican priest and a member of the ANC. The family moved to England in 1963, when Riddell was one year old, and he spent his childhood in a number of different locations, as his father moved between parishes. Both of Riddell's parents continued to be active in the anti-apartheid movement.

Chris Riddell is an internationally acclaimed writer and illustrator whose many awards include the Nestlé Gold Award and two Kate Greenaway Medals—the most prestigious prize for illustration in the UK. He is the creator of more than one hundred books for all ages, including the immensely popular series the Edge Chronicles and his latest chapter book series, starring the irrepressible Ottoline Brown, which School Library Journal called "exceptional." Chris lives in Brighton, England, with his wife and three children where he invents his amazing characters in a very tidy shed in his yard.

Reviews

[Tereza Eliášová · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pan Podpostel je láska. Nejpozději u Svištíka a Šňupa se vždycky rozsekám smíchy :D

[AlwaysReading74 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr lustig ! ☺

[Iqra Fiaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a fun story about 'monsters' who live in bedrooms, including under the bed. Jim gives up his bed for the monster from under his bed but doesn't expect to have other bedroom visitors sharing it too. I would read this with a Key Stage 1 class because it is childish and fun. The language is simple, making it accessible and understandable for them.

This text is relatable for most children because of the common ideas children have about noises they hear at night being monsters under their beds. It can also be a great way to take away fears any of them may have about monsters who sleep under their beds.

It can be used to teach grammar, including:
- Exclamation marks
- Exclamation sentences
- Lists and Commas
- Speech
- Short sentences for effect

This text could be read to children as part of a 'monsters' theme as it links to any other texts that include monster characters.

Children could use the illustrations as inspiration is art lessons to create their own monsters who live in the bedroom. For example, a monster from under the rug.
Maths problems and activities could be created around the theme of monsters to link to the text. For example, monster addition and subtraction.

Overall, a great book with potential to offer fun learning experiences for children.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timillä on vaikeuksia nukahtaa, sillä hänen huoneensa on täynnä erilaisia olentoja. Jokainen olento haluaa nukkumaan juuri Timin sänkyyn, eikä Timille näy jäävän tilaa omaan sänkyynsä.

Hauska kuvakirja, jossa sängynalusmöröt tehdään vitsiksi.

[Tapani Aulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lastenhuoneen kaikki möröt ja muut asukit haluavat samaan petiin nukkumaan.

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 4 out of 5]

25 - 2021

[v i v i n · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun and quick read with beautiful illustrations 😍💕

[Elke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Das Buch lebt eindeutig von den Bildern - die merkwürdigen Gestalten, die Tims Zimmer bevölkern, sind zumeist niedlich und witzig anzusehen. Leider fällt die Geschichte selbst aber eher farblos aus und und verliert meiner Meinung nach ihr Ziel aus den Augen.

Was damit anfängt, dass Herr Untermbett, der unter Tims Bett wohnt, einmal oben im bequemen Bett schlafen möchte, endet damit, dass sich sämtliche Kreaturen, die Tims Schränke, Schubladen etc. bevölkern, dazu gesellen und Tim selbst keinen Platz mehr hat. Eigentlich hätte dies eine schöne Geschichte darüber sein können, dass das altbekannte 'Monster unterm Bett', im Schrank oder wo auch immer ganz harmlos ist und man keine Angst haben muss. Daraus wurde dann aber nur eine Auflistung farbenfroher, fantasievoller Gestalten, und obwohl ich Tims Reaktion - er hat keine Angst, sondern ist neugierig wer oder was da alles zu finden ist - gut finde, wirkt Tim seltsam passiv und lässt die Parade unkommentiert über sich ergehen.

Kleinste Kinder mögen von den bunten Bildern und lustigen Kreaturen begeistert sein, aber ich fand das Buch leider zu beliebig und und die Geschichte zu dünn.

[Hayley Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an alternative to 'scary monsters under the bed' in that it shows friendly and rather odd looking 'monsters' in every possible place from drawers to lampshades. It portrays what may be a fear to children as more of a friendly nuisance and not something to be afraid of. The bright illustrations and immersive experience due to the full bleed pages make it an inviting read. This also shows the main character Jim being able to share with is an important yet hidden message within this books.
A good read and well suited for children that may be scared of monsters under the bed!

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One night, just as Jim was dozing off, the bedsprings CREAKED, the mattress SHOOK, and a head poked out from under Jim's bed.

"Hello!" it said. I'm Mr Underbed."

A charming children's picture book by one of my favourite illustrators. In a typical style, Jim finds an ever increasing cast of characters in his room, all of whom want to share his bed.

Very much showcasing his artistry talents, this was a cute read. 4 stars.

[Brindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written & illustrated picture book. I bought this for my 2 year old great-nephew after the publicity over the John Lewis advert. It really is a great starter book and one to be read over and over.

[Goldschnitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Riddell ist einer meiner liebsten Illustrator, ich liebe alle seine Bücher!

[Dagmar Garciová · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naprosto nádherné ilustrace od Chrise Riddella, příběh spíše průměr, ale všechny ty úžasné příšerky si zamilujete! :)

[Sanja_Sanjalica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun and beautifully illustrated book, I loved discovering different creatures in it.

[Zuzana Malá]

Pěkné zpracování, ale * nebudu hodnotit.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro divertido que deve ter dado uma trabalheira enorme ao tradutor para arranjar nomes equivalentes para estes engraçados monstrinhos.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todays book is the perfect choice for bedtime, especially for kids who have trouble coping with the dark and especially with the idea that perhaps there are alien monsters lurking about under the bed. The illustrations are truly amazing and the monsters depicted are polite, friendly and really quite adorable. The illustrations drive the text and give a great sense of calm and peace as the monsters smile, interact with Jim and curl up in his bed for the night. Just as he is about to doze off he hears the bedsprings creak, the mattress shake and a huge head poke out from under his bed. Introductions are made and the big blue Monster asks if he can crawl into his bed for the night. Jim replies yes, of course, moves over, and the monster hops in and falls to sleep immediately with a contented smile on his face. This is the beginning of a long Monster parade to the bed. They have been hiding out in various areas of Jim's room, tucked here and there, and as he discovers their hiding places they too want to sleep in his bed. Finally so many of them are crowded into his bed that poor Jim gets crowded out of it. His only solution is to curl up on the floor beside his bed and fall asleep there. This book is a fun read, visually appealing to both child and adult, and will surely bring comfort to little ones who fear the noises and scary things that go bump in the night.

[Daniel Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Jim kindly allows Mr Underbed to sleep in his bed, he is totally unprepared for all the other unexpected visitors who want to share it too!

This story is a good example of an 'end of the day' book to read to young children as children will enjoy reading on to find out what other characters are going to pop up, this could lead to children predicting what is going to happen next.

For the above reason, I enjoyed reading this story as I too was unprepared for what new characters will emerge and how the story would end.

[Portable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Underbed is a reassuring tale about fear of the dark, with endearing illustrations by Neil Gaiman's longtime collaborator Chris Riddell. A fun, lighter companion read toThe Dark and other tales of things under the bed that go bump in the night.

[Shanshad Whelan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute, but without a real cohesive story arc. I'm left wondering what our little boy is going to do with all these critters wanting to use the bed instead of their usual haunts. I thought he might opt for under the bed himself and find it comfy, but that isn't what happened and the critters don't seem to notice that the boy is sleeping on the hard cold floor. The illustrations are lively, but the story and writing just doesn't add up to a satisfying story!

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 3 year old daughter loved this book and all the characters in it. I bought it for her as she says every bedtime that certain noises scare her and I thought it might help her. She loved it so much that she now wants all the characters to jump in her bed for a big cuddle! Success!

[LoriAnn Kocialski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

[R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Our least favorite of our Riddell books the redone illustrations are great but the story isn't as good.

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awesome illustrations in this updated edition!

[Husnah Naim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is ideal for bedtime reading. I really like the monsters. They are adorable!

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy)]

This one fell a bit flat for me. I have seen others that work more for this concept.

[Della · Rating 4 out of 5]

I classic from years ago, love it.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Didn't explain whether they were real or not. Loved the illustrations.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

It says on the back that the copy I read is 'completely updated and re-illustrated'. It'd be interesting to compare it with the original version.

[Raneem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its a cute book with a cheerful illustration