How to Care for Your Monster

by Norman Bridwell

Have a new monster as a pet? Worried about how to groom him, what (or whom) to feed him, how to keep him healthy, happy, and howling? Here's all you need to know -- including how to catch your very own Frankenstein, Vampire, Mummy, Werewolf.

Genres: Childrens, Halloween, Picture Books, Fiction, Humor, Fantasy

64 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1970

About the author

Norman Bridwell was an American author and cartoonist, best-known for the Clifford the Big Red Dog series of children's books. Bridwell attended John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, Indiana. He lived on Martha's Vineyard, MA, where he wrote an average of two books a year.

Reviews

[Adriana Scarpin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eu deveria ter lido esse para o Halloween, mas édivertido para qualquer momento. Entre um Clifford the Big Red Dog e outro, Norman Bridwell fazia um ou outro livrinho de outros assuntos e um desses é Como Cuidar do Seu Monstro que aparentemente nunca teve edição no Brasil e não é reeditado internacionalmente desde seu lançamento em 1970.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

When he wasn't working on his cute Clifford books, Norman Bridwell changed it up by tossing out a series of books about the witch next door and a trio of humor books about monsters that basically features the Universal Classic Monsters lineup.

This one is a satirical take on how-to books about pet care that posits everyone is adopting monsters the way they would kittens or puppies. There are way too many corny jokes about Frankenstein's monster, mummies, vampires, and werewolves, and some that occasionally go to darker places, referencing blood sucking and corpse dissection.

I might have enjoyed this as a kid, but as an adult I was bored.

[R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my amazon.com review: Although my memory is shady, I DO remember this book being a perfect blend of humor and "horror". Consider it a primer to the Goosebumps series: introducing pre-schoolers to the Monsters which informed our pop-culture during the 20th Century. The author/illustrator shows the reader how one can care for their pet monster...whether it be a Dracula, a Werewolf, a Frankenstein, a Mummy...etc.... This would be a great book for a child who has a fear of the "boogieman" in the closet, in that it treats the subject of Monsters with EMPOWERMENT: it lets the child know they CAN tame that Werewolf or Dracula, literal and (eventually) metaphorical. It is primarily aimed at boys, age 5-8.

[Robert Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my amazon.com review: One of my all-time favorite books from childhood. Got it through the Scholastic Book Club and read it over and over until the binding snapped. Taped up the spine then read it some more.

Great mix of humor and horror. A wonderfully silly book unconcerned with teaching kids anything outside of how to take care of a pet monster. Who says all books need to teach you how to be a better person? Whatever happened to just having a good time?

That's what this book is -- a good time. The kind of book even a Reluctant Reader will pick up and enjoy. What more could you ask for?

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

An invaluable guidebook! Before you buy that werewolf, vampire, mummy, or Frankenstein's monster (but no monkeys!) who's caught your eye in the neighborhood monster shop window, be sure you know the right way to take care of it! With just a little time, effort, and bloodshed, you and your new friend will be on the way to many happy Midnight adventures together!


(This was written decades before J.K. Rowling invented Hagrid!)

[André · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully drawn by Clifford author Norman Bridwell, this eternal classic is for kids of all ages who love monsters!

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This happened to be sitting on the desk next to me and so I read it. It is a very quick read. I read it many, many times as a child. The careful attention to detail in the parody of a basic pet care book really appealed to me as a kid and it still does. I must have been even younger than usual when I was first reading this because I'm fairly certain some of the jokes went right over my head.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was very young. This is the first time I've reread it in fifty years! And I still love it. The solemn, tongue-in-cheek instruction in monster care, the excellent illustrations, the delightful idea behind it -- this is a keeper.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this book. Recently found it at a thrift store and had to add it to my collection. Loved the story and the illustrations are simply amazing.

Who knew mummies love juicy fruit gum and that Frankenstein monsters loved a great trick/joke.

This will teach you how to get a monster and care for him. So, why don't you go to the local monster store and make a great addition to your family.

[Qt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! What a great "instruction manual" telling you how to find and take care of your very own pet monster :-) Frankenstein monsters, werewolves, mummies, and vampires are all covered. Sweet, cute, and funny, with illustrations to match, it was perfect for Halloween (or any time of year, for me).

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my all time favorite books as a small boy and I love it even now, glancing over my copy. The illustrations (done in green and black) really make the book wonderful. A book for kids who love monsters and love to laugh.

[Myssi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I remembered the title after all these years! Now to track down a copy!

[Jeffrey Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second grade and I'm blessed to have the Scholastic Book Services and their catalogs. I chose this one and for years it sat in the bottom shelf of my nightstand. I guess my mother decided at some point I had outgrown it. Well, in a way maybe I did, but today I got a used copy in the mail. I sat down and read it after lunch, before continuing my re-read of Penumbra. It can still capture the imagination like it did my seven-year-old self. For one brief shining moment you can believe in the world Bridwell creates here; a world of monster stores, and vampires and mummies and werewolves. A world where you could buy or capture a monster and keep him/her, like a pet. And Bridwell uses both genders for the kids in his illustrations. How cool is that? I cherished this book on that long ago autumn day when it arrived in my classroom, and today I cherished it again. This is a cool book. Snag a copy if you can.

[Ty Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one as a kid and picked up a copy at Goodwill to read to my 2 year old son. Had no idea how old it was, coming out in 1970! Some of it falls a bit flat as an adult, but other sections are eerily prescient ("Your monster will like to watch horrible, mean, nasty things on television. Let him watch the news.") The image of an archaeologist fleeing angry cultists after stealing a mummy from a pyramid on the page about getting a used monster is just pure gold. To this day, I still laugh out loud every time I see the panel with the werewolf in a business suit saying "arf" at a light bulb. I suspect that may have been a big influence on a certain character in Hotel Transylvania many years later :)

[Annelise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an old children’s book that I found in my grandparents’ library and IMMEDIATELY fell in love with!!

From the creator of Clifford the Big Red Dog comes this delightful how-to guide on buying (or catching), housing, and feeding your very own monster. There’s even a section in the back with tips for throwing and judging a monster show (think pet show)!

Each monster has its pros and cons, but I personally think I’d want a Frankenstein’s monster or possibly a mummy 🧟‍♂️

Between the charming illustrations and pun-filled care instructions, this book has my whole heart and I will tape the pages together as many times as needed to keep it from falling apart 🧡

[Hank Olivas · Rating 4 out of 5]

When some photos of How To Care For Your Monster appeared online recently I experienced a pleasant flood of memories! I was probably 8 years old when I owned this book (third grade), with its funny cartoons and corny MAD Magazine style humor. Seeing it now, I'm amazed at how much of it I remember, and recall my younger self trying to copy of some of the illustrations! In hindsight I'm so grateful for Scholastic Book Services: truly a major influence on my early interest in reading, as my school often gave us the opportunity to order from its catalog.

[Edmund Kubiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder why this book is out of print. It is cute, funny, and well-writtten and well-drawn. It's aimed at grades 4-6 but that doesn't mean an adult can't enjoy it. If you can find it anywhere, buy it (I had to check it out of my local library.)

[L.E. Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books as a kid in the 1970s when I totally wanted a werewolf. Thank you, Mr. Bridwell.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I found How to Care for Your Monsters. It is absolutely delightful. It looks like a chapter book, but it’s really a picture book in chapter book form (minimal text and heavily illustrated). It’s not appropriate for the youngest of youngsters, but you could totally read this to a five- or six-year-old. It’s not frightening at all, and any gruesome references are better than most fairy tales.

Norman Bridwell, you may know, wrote Clifford the Big Red DogClifford the Big Red Dog. But this is definitely better than Clifford. Finding lesser-known works by well-known authors is always a treat. It was published by Scholastic Book Services in 1970, and I picked it up for less than a dollar. Lucky me.

How to Care for Your Monster takes the form of an actual manual, telling the reader how to find and care for various monsters (Frankenstein’s monster, a mummy, a vampire and a werewolf). The illustrations are funny and wonderfully retro, and the book itself is just a serious charmer. I’m so excited to share this with kids who will really appreciate it.

(My used copy has written in it: Mitch.)

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another beloved book resurrected from my childhood. I had originally bought it from Scholastic Book Service in the third grade and then threw it away when I grew up. Happily, I was able to buy an old copy on eBay six years ago. I loved it as a child and I still love it now. Anyone who grew up watching Creature Feature on Saturdays will appreciate the clever humor. Sadly, I wonder how many children today know who Frankenstein is.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cool, twisted, clever little book. Shows its age a little bit with the gender norms, though. Not sure I would actually read it to a very little kid, though. It's just a little bit black-humored.

Anyone know if the illustrations are meant to be all green, or if there should be some black detailing also? It's a little uneven but hasn't bled through the pages in this copy so ... I can't tell.

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored reading this as a child and a fan of the classic monsters. Norman Bridwell, the author of numerous Clifford, The Red Dog books, has a biting sense of humor that is funny and clever. I found a copy of this in the library a few weeks ago and read it again. i must admit that I laughed aloud. it was a good trip down memory lane. Now, I will have to find a copy and read it to my granddaughter.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not quite sure when I read this book, but I know it was when I was a kid. All of the monsters enthralled me; the fact that you could "tame" one and keep it as a sort of pet just lit my young imagination on fire.

My favorites were the werewolf and Frankenstein's monster.

[Dean Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the first books I really loved. When my parents wouldn't let me stay up to watch Creature Features, I could read this. (So much better than Birdwell's Clifford the Big Red Dog books.)

[Russ Schafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book from childhood. Excellent art and fun to read.

[Yvonne deSousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this as a kid!!! Was fun to see it here...

[Tim Wynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was about five years old. I loved it. It taught me a lot about monsters, most of which I still remember today, but I never actually got a monster. I doubt I ever will.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book as a child. I think my parents got it for me so that I would not be afraid of monsters. I still have this book.