The Monster Den: or Look What Happened at My House — and to It

by John Ciardi, Edward Gorey (Illustrator)

This delightful collection of humorous verse celebrates the little monster that lurks within every good child. From the silliest of sillies to the gleefully bizarre, monster children and their families will enjoy these imaginative and funny poems from one of America's most beloved poets. Edward Gorey adds to the fun with his mad-as-a-hatter illustrations.

Genres: Poetry, Childrens, Humor

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

John Anthony Ciardi was an American poet, translator, editor, writer and etymologist.

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written accurately silly, and illustrated silly, accurately!

[Winnie Marth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward Gorey's illustrations raised many stars.

[Jeff Lewonczyk · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poems are a mixed bag, but you can't go wrong with Gorey illustrations, especially when he's creating bizarre creatures I've never seen before.

[rtxlib · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a collection of playful poems about family life and childhood. The poem Monster Den tells the story of a young newly married couple who are alarmed when each of their children turn into monsters as they grow older. In The Lesson For Tonight a boy is taught if one wishes to be rude one must also keep up appearances, "When you are at the table / And you need to kick your brother, / Be as sweet as you are able / to your Dad and Mother. // Thank them for the lovely food / In a pleasant voice - and quick!- / While you are being very good, / That's the time to kick!

Children can be sweet and kind but just under the surface they can also be a monster!

The book also features black and white artwork by Edward Gorey.

[Jocelyn]

illustrations by edward gorey