The Very Worst Monster [Library Binding]

Pat Hutchins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1985 | Age Level: 5 and up

When Billy Monster was born, his father said, "My son is going to grow up to be the Worst Monster in the World." However, Billy's sister Hazel proved that she was the Worst Monster in a way that older siblings can cheer.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

"I tend to see the funny side of things," says Pat Hutchins. Whether it's the light, subtle humor of her first picture book, Rosie's Walk, or the slapstick comedy of Rats!, her special gift of humor is reflected in both words and pictures.

Pat Hutchins was born in Yorkshire, England, one of seven children, and grew up in the countryside of Yorkshire, which she still loves. At a very early age she knew that she wanted to be an artist.

She was encouraged by an elderly couple, who would give her a chocolate bar for each picture she drew. A local art school gave her a scholarship and she studied there for three years, continuing her training at Leeds College of Art, where she specialized in illustration. Her career in the children's book field began with the highly acclaimed Rosie's Walk, a 1968 ALA Notable Book. Since then she has written five novels and created more than twenty picture books. She was awarded England's prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal in 1974 for The Wind Blew.

She says she tries "to write about what children say and do," and she believes in very simple picture books for the youngest child. But her simple texts and wonderfully vivid pictures manage to convey the most complex emotions. She also has the rare ability to use such basic concepts as time, growth, and change to create imaginative, satisfying books for children. Her ideas come from a variety of sources: listening to her children and their friends, or sometimes from real situations. The idea for The Very Worst Monster came to her when her niece told her she wanted to give her baby brother away. Ms. Hutchins tempered the theme of sibling rivalry by using soft watercolors to make the monster family more lovable. The result is a delightfully wicked monster family that children will wish lived next door.

Pat Hutchins lives in London with her husband, Laurence, also an artist. They have two sons, Morgan and Sam.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (March 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068804011X
• ISBN-13: 978-0688040116
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,606,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Buying the Hardback This Time, May 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Very Worst Monster (Library Binding)

Some books just get loved to death, and this book was a casualty of our first-born's affection. Now I'm delighted to find it again for our younger son- it has just the sort of humor a four to six-year-old will delight in, and a gentle moral that any parent will appreciate, whether or not your child has siblings. 'Monster' drawings aren't usually our cup of tea, but these illustrations are warm rather than scary, and the monster motif works well with the plot of an older sibling trying to outperform her 'monster' brother.

5.0 out of 5 stars My little one loves this book..., January 3, 2005

By 

C. K. Smith "Toddler Mom Midwest" (St. Louis MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Very Worst Monster (Paperback)

When Billy Monster was born....so begins the book that my two-year old has now memorized. She LOVES this book about little Hazel who no one notices now that the new baby is on the scene. We first found this book on tape at the library and, judging from the wear and tear, other kids have loved it too. We had to get our own copy. Fun illustrations make it especially fun to read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Brothers aren't always the worst!, July 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Very Worst Monster (Library Binding)

This book is humorous yet can serve a purpose for the youngeraged children. This can be included in a classroom library wherechildren with new siblings can read and be able to relate to!

Note to Teachers: this book could be used in teaching word structure such as worse and worst!