Five Ugly Monsters [Hardcover]

Tedd Arnold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995 | Age Level: 3 and up | Series: Cartwheel Books story corner

A funny variation on a familiar nursery rhyme finds five ugly little monsters jumping on a forbidden bed, falling off, bumping their heads, and being warned by the doctor to behave from there on.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1?Although there's been a change in cast in this familiar rhyme, jumping on the bed continues to be a hazardous activity. Arnold's colorful cartoon monsters bounce on the bed until "one falls off and bumps its head." The doctor's advice is, of course, to stop bouncing. With each casualty the type and color of monster changes. This somewhat diffuses the cumulative effect and the heady thrill of disobeying the doctor. It does give the illustrator the opportunity to create five different sorts of affable creatures. Colorful illustrations, a silly verse, and a bold boy who finally takes charge come together here for a happy though brief story time read-aloud.?Jody McCoy, Casady School, Oklahoma City
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 2^-5. Twisting the words of the old "Five Little Monkeys" song, this picture book concerns a little boy who's trying to get to sleep. Soon five rather cuddly looking, bug-eyed monsters troop in and boot him out of his bed, which they use as a trampoline. When one falls off and bumps his head, the boy calls the doctor, who yells through the phone: "No more monsters jumping on the bed!" Cowed, the little monsters trundle off, but just as the boy is getting to sleep, four new monsters barge in looking for fun, then three, then two, and finally, one. Taking charge, the boy dispatches them all. Lively cartoon drawings, colorful washes, and many comic touches make this bright, sassy picture book a natural for story time. Great fun, though probably better as a wake-up book than a bedtime story. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover
• Publisher: Cartwheel Books (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590222260
• ISBN-13: 978-0590222266
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #432,553 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Elmira, New York, Tedd grew up in a family of six with three brothers. His family lived on a farm in Pennsylvania for several years then returned to Elmira until Tedd was ten years old. His father's work then required that they move to Gainesville, Florida. There, Tedd's first art lessons in an abandoned dentist's office over the Happy Hour pool hall eventually led to a fine arts degree from the University of Florida. He and his wife, Carol, started their family in Tallahassee where Tedd worked as a commercial illustrator. Carol, a Kindergarten teacher, drew Tedd's attention to children's books. Their first son, Walter, inspired his breakthrough picture book, No Jumping on the Bed!. His second son, William, now stars in No More Water in the Tub!, a sequel to his first book. He has now published more than 30 books as author and illustrator. When not working on his books, Tedd's interests include tennis, sketching, reading, coin collecting, and the computer."The inspiration to begin writing and illustrating for children came from my wife, Carol. As a kindergarten teacher, she collected picture books. I was attracted to their colorful pages and the way the words and pictures played with each other, much like the captioned cartoons I had drawn when I was young."Perhaps the biggest surprise of my career as an author is that I'm now going back to elementary school! Visiting young readers in classrooms and libraries is something I love. Kids keep me on my toes and they ask a lot of questions. The number one question seems to be, 'Where do you get your ideas?' It's also the hardest question to answer because every idea is different. Some ideas seem to pop out of thin air -- while I'm in the shower or walking the dog. Others come from reading or research. But most of my ideas come from my family and the things they do and say."For instance, one time when my first son, Walter, was five years old, I found him lying on the couch, looking pale as a ghost and clutching a Bible to his chest. He was praying! When I asked what was wrong, he wouldn't answer. In fact, he wouldn't even open his mouth. My wife, Carol, finally coaxed a response from him: he pointed inside his mouth. Carol exclaimed, 'You have a loose tooth!' Walter's eyes nearly popped out with fright. We quickly assured him that it was perfectly okay for his tooth to come loose and that a new one would replace it. But Carol and I looked at each other and realized that despite all our efforts to be good parents, we had somehow completely forgotten to warn Walter that teeth fall out! He had thought he was falling apart! I made a little note in my journal; then ten years later, I expanded that memory into my book Parts."Tedd Arnold lives in Elmira, New York, with his wife, Carol, two sons, Walter and William, two cats, Cody and Frankie, and one dog, Hershey.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A funny easy-reader with a twist, March 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Five Ugly Monsters (Hardcover)

Anyone familiar with preschoolers knows the "Five little monkeys jumping on the bed..." rhyme. Here, the cuddly-cute monsters follow the rhyme, but the doctor doesn't cooperate and the little boy gets in the last word. Great fun to read out loud, especially on a bouncy bed. Tedd Arnold's "scribble" style of illustration is fascinating close up.