The Monster at the End of this Book (Sesame Street) (Big Little Golden Book) [Hardcover]

Jon Stone (Author), Michael Smollin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: May 11, 2004 | Age Range: 3 - 7 years | Series: Big Little Golden Book

Many adults name this book as their favorite Little Golden Book. Generations of kids have interacted with lovable, furry old Grover as he begs the reader not to turn the page—for fear of a monster at the end of the book. “Oh, I am so embarrassed,” he says on the last page . . . for, of course, the monster is Grover himself!

This all-time favorite is now available as a Big Little Golden Book—perfect for lap-time reading.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Many, many adults name this book as their favorite Little Golden Book. Generations of kids have interacted with lovable, furry old Grover as he begs the reader not to turn the page?for fear of a monster at the end of the book. ?Oh, I am so embarrassed,? he says on the last page . . . for, of course, the monster is Grover himself! This all-time favorite is now available as a Big Little Golden Book?perfect for lap-time reading.

About the Author

Jon Stone was the first head writer for Sesame Street and was one of the show’s principal directors and producers for over 24 years.

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 7 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Golden Books (May 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037582913X
• ISBN-13: 978-0375829130
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.4 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (440 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Children's Books > Sports & Games > Activities & Toys
  • #38 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Emotions & Feelings

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 72 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't turn the page! January 6, 2003

By Benjamin

Format:Board book

I wandered into the room of my best friend's three-year-old son, preparing to read him a book before he went to bed. When I saw this book among the pile on his floor, I got nostalgic. Really nostalgic. My mom read me the same book when I was his age, and I love, LOVE this book.

Not only does it teach you that sometimes the answer to all of your questions is right in front of you, but it does so by giving you pages of Grover, one of the most hysterical, lovable Muppets. The rattling of Grover's nerves, and the actual building of suspense in a picture book, keep the reader turning the book's pages -- even though Grover BEGS you not to do so. The reader is actually included in the narrative, for the book involves only Grover talking to the reader. The book thus becomes involving very quickly and entertaining throughout it.

Plus, the final punchline is a great payoff.

If you have children, this is an absolute must. Unlike other books from children's shows, this one's intelligent, maintains proper values and isn't beat-me-over-the-head annoying.

109 of 121 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Destiny, Fate, and Self-Knowledge March 1, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

_The Monster At The End Of This Book_ (henceforth "TMATEOTB") is a fascinating treatise on several of the philosophical problems lurking at the core of modern and classical thought. The premise -- that, with the turn of each page, the reader brings self-described "lovable, furry Grover" closer to danger at the hands of the title monster -- allows one to question the very nature of free will and destiny. Is Grover doomed to encounter the monster? The conceit that it is the act of turning pages -- the literal act of reading itself -- that causes the ending to come about inevitably leads to the question: Would the book end differently if one _didn't_ finish reading it? On another level, TMATEOTB addresses one of the paradoxes of contemporary physics: The equality of space and time. The "end of the book" is an event in the future, but the monster is not spoken of as "arriving", but as _already being there_. Thus, turning pages moves the reader and Grover not only forward in time, as in most traditional literature, but also forward in space, leading to the perilous End of the Book. Lastly, TMATEOTB is about how we are ultimately at the whim of the cosmic forces that shape our lives. The hapless protagonist tries again and again to stop the reader from turning pages by erecting brick walls and nailing one page to the other. His efforts are futile, but he remains unaware of his essential helplessness in the face of a Reader. Perhaps, the book says, we are ultimately doomed to fail, trapped within the pages of cosmic irony, but unable to prevent or even perceive the inevitability of our encounter with the monster. The shocking twist ending wraps up the disparate threads of the text, presenting issues of self-knowledge, the nature of fear, and the question of what it truly means to be a monster. Perhaps the failure of our quests for safety in an uncertain world isn't so bad, it argues, if it leads to a confrontation like the one depicted in _The Monster At The End Of This Book_.

29 of 35 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars love the book, hate the size! December 15, 2010

By lcg

Format:Board book|Amazon Verified Purchase

first, I should make it clear that I love this book, it was one of my favorites growing up. I read it in a regular edition to my daughter and she seemed to like it almost as much as I do(she is 19 months so her sense of humor is still developing, she'll get there!).

since she is still a young toddler I decided to get her the board book edition and I am sorry I did. it is tiny! in some board books this wouldn't matter, in this one it doesn't work. so much of the humor in this book lies in the page layout--you lose all of that since the book itself is so small.