Josie and the Scary Snapper

by Elisa Downing, Isadora Machado (Illustrator)

There are monsters in the dark, but Josie has a magic flashlight.

When the sun goes down, Josie stays awake because she sees monsters in the dark. She sees big monsters and little monsters, fuzzy monsters and scaly monsters. There's even a purple monster with big horns and long claws hiding in the kitchen! That one is the scariest thing in her house by far.

One evening, Josie’s dad gives her a magic flashlight, her very own Scary Snapper, that will turn any monster into something less scary. When she wakes up in the middle of the night and starts to feel scared, Josie ventures from her bedroom and into the dark hallway, her Scary Snapper in hand.

In Josie and the Scary Snapper, join Josie on a midnight adventure as she conquers her fear of the dark. With vibrant illustrations, an empowering story, and a twist you won’t see coming, Josie and the Scary Snapper is a page-turning picture book for bedtimes everywhere.

***If you enjoyed The Dark by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen, Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett, or Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberly, Josie and the Scary Snapper is for you!***

34 pages, Paperback

Published October 6, 2020

About the author

Elisa Downing is an author of fantasy books about brave kids, teens, and young adults. An MA Children’s Literature graduate, she’s spent years climbing through the windows of books to better see the world beyond. She enjoys writing thrilling adventures full of ancient mysteries, slow-burn romance, and lots of monsters. When she’s not writing, you can find Elisa reading under a tree somewhere, playing video games on easy mode, waxing poetic over cult cinema, or watching horror movies.

Reviews

[Emily Portman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book put the biggest smile on my face and I felt like such a kid again reading it! Any book which builds up the confidence of children and teaches them life lessons is an instant winner in my eyes, and this beautiful book does all that and more. This wonderful story combined with such striking, colourful illustrations should take pride of place on any child’s book shelf, and it’d even be a good pick for Halloween! The world needs more books like this one to get children into enjoying stories and to make them realise that they are braver than they think.

To me, this story encourages children to believe they can conquer anything if they put their minds to it! Josie became braver and braver after each encounter with a ‘monster’ and at the end, she was no longer afraid. The ending scene put quite an unexpected twist on things and was quite the opposite in terms of Josie being the scared one and the monsters doing the scaring! I feel the book is empowering and positive, and it is perfect for all children in the 3-5 age range to enjoy (or even a big kid like me!)

You can read my full review over on my blog: https://aquintillionwords.com/2020/09...

[BooksCoffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Downing brings thorough fun and plenty of sassy energy to Josie and the Scary Scrapper, her debut picture book, the story of adorable Josie who is scared of the monsters in the dark.

Little Josie is unable to sleep at night because she’s scared of the scary things she sees in the dark. When Josie’s dad gives her a magic flashlight, Josie is not very convinced of the scary snapper’s magical ability to scare the monsters away. But the same night, when monsters come, Josie gets a chance to test the snapper’s magical abilities.

With Josie’s story, Downing skillfully conveys how quickly a kid’s world can unravel. Her child-appropriate prose and witty tone make the book a page-turner. The silly, fun twist in the end will have young readers in splits. Machado’s delightful illustrations in both somber and bright colors adeptly reflect story’s mood.

This humorous, light treatment of the eternal subject of the “I’m scared of scary things in the dark” will make a welcome addition to young children’s bedside bookshelf.

[_sassy_39 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josie and the Scary Snapper is a Children's Book written by the author Elisa Downing and illustrated by Isadora Machado. This book will take kids on the midnight adventures and they will get rid of the fear of dark. This is the story of Josie who gets afraid after it gets dark because she could see different monsters in her house. One night, Josie's dad gave her a light blue flashlight, her own snapper. Will she be able to overcome her fear of the dark?

This is an adorable book that is written very well by the author. Illustrations are mind blowing and will catch kid's attention immediately. This book teaches us that there is always a way to overcome our fears. Language is simple and easy to understand. Cover of the book is nice.

[L.A. Lodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, loved!

For anyone who has ever seen monsters in the shapes in the dark, this book is for you! I loved how Josie was empowered to face her fears and overcome them. An absolute delight to read with evocative imagery from both the words and illustrations. Sure to become a bedtime hit for both kids and parents.

[Karen Bendzus · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved the ending. Easy for kids to read. Cute illustrations

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many children suffer from imaginary monsters. This is an excellent way to handle the problem! Well done!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Hidden Gems.