The Monster Bed
Encyclopedia
The Monster Bed is a children's book by Jeanne Willis
and illustrated by Susan Varley
that revolves around the twist on the common "monsters under the bed" story that frighten children. The book is a young reader, normally aimed for 4 years or older. The main character, the monster Dennis, believes that human children are under his bed and will get him as he falls asleep. His mother, however, tries to get him to go to sleep. Eventually, a human child accidentally ventures into their home cave, and both the human and Dennis discover each other, frightening both.
The book was aimed at decreasing the fear of night
in children by basically telling them that monsters were just as afraid of humans as humans were of monsters. The book received good reviews after it came out, with hardly any review lower than a 75% rating on any book review site. Some of the books came with an extra plush toy of Dennis with his pillow and teddy bear in each arm.
s, nasty gnome
s, and scary pixie
s and fairies."
The book then changes setting into inside the forest, where we see a small monster named Dennis and his mother, showing that Dennis was very polite for a young monster. It describes Dennis's fear of humans, which leads to the next part of the book.
Dennis screams and shouts he will not go to bed. The mother, surprised at this sudden fear of bed, asks why. Dennis explains that he is afraid of human
s. He says humans will "creep under my monster bed while I'm asleep." Dennis's mother is not convinced of her son's story and tries to persuade Dennis to fall asleep.
She gives Dennis his teddy bear and also says she will not turn off the light. She begins to kiss Dennis, but Dennis reacts and bites her on the nose. Dennis's mother then promises her son that the humans won't get him. She then readies him for bed. However, Dennis concludes he will sleep under his bed so the humans will not be able to find him.
and ventures into the Withering Wood to hide (presumably from his parents). He walks deep into the woods so that he comes upon Dennis's and his mother's cave. Not knowing where he is, he walks into the cave for rest. He then decides to sleep.
He finds Dennis's bedroom and decides to sleep on the bed. He changes into his night clothes and begins to fall asleep. However, the boy was afraid of monsters. With the absence of his mother, he checks under the bed himself, and to his surprise, he finds Dennis. Both Dennis and the young boy run away.
The book then explains not to misbehave and how it would feel if Dennis's mother would tell the reader if humans were not real.
-like features, such as smiling, walking, and emotion. The monster has two objects he carries around with him, his teddy bear
and pillow
. He is given these objects to give the reader an impression of a small child. Dennis also possesses several toys. These toys resemble the characters of another children's book, Where the Wild Things Are
. Dennis also plays hopskotch near his cave.
Dennis has a strong fear of human
children. He believes that there are humans underneath his bed, just as humans believe there are monsters underneath their beds. This fear has lead him to trouble with his mother (see below). He has even bit her nose while she was about to kiss him. However, in the end, Dennis chose to sleep underneath his bed so that the children could not find him underneath there.
Dennis's mother is a larger monster than Dennis, though obviously of the same species. A caring mother, she tries to get her son, Dennis, to sleep on top of his bed and to discontinue his fear of humans. However, when Dennis refuses to sleep on top of his bed, she goes through extreme difficulties to get him to sleep. She keeps the light on, she gives Dennis his teddy bear
.
The mother is shown to be "much larger" than Dennis, the small monster. The mother has many human mother-like qualities, such as her purse
that she is seen carrying in the beginning of the book. She tucks her child in every night, and also reads stories to him about humans. She also plays with Dennis as well.
, and had hid in the forest. However, the child soon lost his way and wandered into the cave where Dennis and the monster's mother lived. By the time he arrived at the cave, he was very tired of walking and decided to sleep in the cave. He eventually found Dennis's room, with the bed.
He took his clothes off into his pajamas and then decided to go to sleep. However, with the absence of the boy's mother and his fear of monsters underneath the bed, he decided the only way to see if there were monsters was to look under the bed himself. When he gazed under the bed, he saw Dennis. Both Dennis and the boy had the same reaction; they were afraid of each other. Thus, the boy ran out of the cave and Dennis ran to his mother. It is unknown what happened to the boy after the small incident.
There are two major morals in The Monster Bed that can both give children two lessons. One is fear of the opposite race, such as monsters' fear of children and children's fear of monsters. The book was meant to give the impression to children that their fear was as scared of them as they were of their fear, providing comfort for the small children. It also teaches children to check under the bed themselves.
Another possible moral is to teach kids not to skip school
, as the small child did, and to not try to hide from your parents in areas you do not know.
. The book received a 4.5 rating at Amazon.com
, and a 4/5 on Circle Time book reviews.
The book was written by Jeanne Willis
. The style of the writing is in the format of a poem, with the first and second lines rhyming
and the third and fourth rhyming, such as "He took off his pillows and blankets and said, / 'From now on, I plan to sleep under my bed. / If I'm underneath and a human comes near, / It won't think to look for me, safe under here.'" There is mostly four lines per page, though some pages have six, and one page has only a single line.
The illustrations were created by Susan Varley
using watercolor and pencil. The illustrations give the reader the impression that both Dennis and his mother are just like humans. Susan Varley even added a small easter egg to her illustrations—a closer look at Dennis's many toys everywhere in the house reveals that they are the same creatures as seen in Where the Wild Things Are
.
toy of Dennis, the main character, with a teddy bear
in one hand and his pillow
in the other. All of the toy's limbs are moveable, including the monster's ears, and it was made to be a bedtime toy
. The toy follows all of the details in the book, down to the texture of Dennis's skin.
Jeanne Willis
Jeanne Willis is an author of several children's books, including The Monster Bed , the Dr. Xargle's Book of... series , and Shamanka...
and illustrated by Susan Varley
Susan Varley
Susan Varley is an illustrator of several children's books, including The Monster Bed.-Biography:Susan Varley was born in 1961 in Blackpool, England. She studied graphic design and illustration at Manchester Polytechnic, and illustrated Badger's Parting Gifts...
that revolves around the twist on the common "monsters under the bed" story that frighten children. The book is a young reader, normally aimed for 4 years or older. The main character, the monster Dennis, believes that human children are under his bed and will get him as he falls asleep. His mother, however, tries to get him to go to sleep. Eventually, a human child accidentally ventures into their home cave, and both the human and Dennis discover each other, frightening both.
The book was aimed at decreasing the fear of night
Nyctophobia
Nyctophobia is a phobia characterized by a severe fear of the darkness. It is triggered by the brain’s disfigured perception of what would or could happen when in a dark environment....
in children by basically telling them that monsters were just as afraid of humans as humans were of monsters. The book received good reviews after it came out, with hardly any review lower than a 75% rating on any book review site. Some of the books came with an extra plush toy of Dennis with his pillow and teddy bear in each arm.
Introduction
The introduction starts the book in the setting of a small picnic of a human and his dog. The human is apparently telling the reader to not venture into the Withering Wood, a forest of trees rumored to have legendary creatures such as "hairy trollTroll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
s, nasty gnome
Gnome
A gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature...
s, and scary pixie
Pixie
Pixies are mythical creatures of folklore, considered to be particularly concentrated in the areas around Devon and Cornwall, suggesting some Celtic origin for the belief and name.They are usually depicted with pointed ears, and often wearing a green outfit and pointed...
s and fairies."
The book then changes setting into inside the forest, where we see a small monster named Dennis and his mother, showing that Dennis was very polite for a young monster. It describes Dennis's fear of humans, which leads to the next part of the book.
Dennis's fear of children
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s. He says humans will "creep under my monster bed while I'm asleep." Dennis's mother is not convinced of her son's story and tries to persuade Dennis to fall asleep.
She gives Dennis his teddy bear and also says she will not turn off the light. She begins to kiss Dennis, but Dennis reacts and bites her on the nose. Dennis's mother then promises her son that the humans won't get him. She then readies him for bed. However, Dennis concludes he will sleep under his bed so the humans will not be able to find him.
A child lost
As Dennis falls asleep, a young boy skips schoolHooky
Hooky may refer to the following:* "Hooky" is an episode from the first season of the animated television show SpongeBob SquarePants that aired along with Mermaid Man And Barnacle Boy II on April 8, 2000...
and ventures into the Withering Wood to hide (presumably from his parents). He walks deep into the woods so that he comes upon Dennis's and his mother's cave. Not knowing where he is, he walks into the cave for rest. He then decides to sleep.
He finds Dennis's bedroom and decides to sleep on the bed. He changes into his night clothes and begins to fall asleep. However, the boy was afraid of monsters. With the absence of his mother, he checks under the bed himself, and to his surprise, he finds Dennis. Both Dennis and the young boy run away.
The book then explains not to misbehave and how it would feel if Dennis's mother would tell the reader if humans were not real.
Dennis
Dennis is a polite, green, cave-dwelling reptilian monster that resembles a Velociraptor. As the main character of the story, he has many humanHuman
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
-like features, such as smiling, walking, and emotion. The monster has two objects he carries around with him, his teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
and pillow
Pillow
A pillow is a large cushion support for the head, usually used while sleeping in a bed, or for the body as used on a couch or chair. There are also throw pillows , which are pillows that are purely decorative and not designed for support or comfort...
. He is given these objects to give the reader an impression of a small child. Dennis also possesses several toys. These toys resemble the characters of another children's book, Where the Wild Things Are
Where The Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short in 1973 , a 1980 opera, and, in 2009, a live-action feature film...
. Dennis also plays hopskotch near his cave.
Dennis has a strong fear of human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
children. He believes that there are humans underneath his bed, just as humans believe there are monsters underneath their beds. This fear has lead him to trouble with his mother (see below). He has even bit her nose while she was about to kiss him. However, in the end, Dennis chose to sleep underneath his bed so that the children could not find him underneath there.
Dennis's mother
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
.
The mother is shown to be "much larger" than Dennis, the small monster. The mother has many human mother-like qualities, such as her purse
Handbag
A handbag, or purse in American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag that is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, to hold personal items such as wallet/coins, keys, cosmetics, a hairbrush, pepper spray, cigarettes, mobile phone etc....
that she is seen carrying in the beginning of the book. She tucks her child in every night, and also reads stories to him about humans. She also plays with Dennis as well.
Small child
Not much is known about the small child. On the day of Dennis's refusal to sleep, the boy had skipped school, described in the book as hookyHooky
Hooky may refer to the following:* "Hooky" is an episode from the first season of the animated television show SpongeBob SquarePants that aired along with Mermaid Man And Barnacle Boy II on April 8, 2000...
, and had hid in the forest. However, the child soon lost his way and wandered into the cave where Dennis and the monster's mother lived. By the time he arrived at the cave, he was very tired of walking and decided to sleep in the cave. He eventually found Dennis's room, with the bed.
He took his clothes off into his pajamas and then decided to go to sleep. However, with the absence of the boy's mother and his fear of monsters underneath the bed, he decided the only way to see if there were monsters was to look under the bed himself. When he gazed under the bed, he saw Dennis. Both Dennis and the boy had the same reaction; they were afraid of each other. Thus, the boy ran out of the cave and Dennis ran to his mother. It is unknown what happened to the boy after the small incident.
Other characters
There are a few other minor or secondary characters in The Monster Bed. These include:- Picnic boy, a small boy introduced at the beginning of the story, and tells the reader of the dangers of the "Withering Wood". He has presumably been into the Withering Wood, as he is seen running out of the forest with his picnic kit. He owns the white and brown dog, and can be seen eating an apple, sandwich, and other food during his picnic.
- The dog, a brown and white dog that is owned by the Picnic boy. It is, like its owner, scared of the many stories about the Withering Wood.
- Other children, humans that Dennis believes is under his bed.
Morals
Another possible moral is to teach kids not to skip school
Hooky
Hooky may refer to the following:* "Hooky" is an episode from the first season of the animated television show SpongeBob SquarePants that aired along with Mermaid Man And Barnacle Boy II on April 8, 2000...
, as the small child did, and to not try to hide from your parents in areas you do not know.
Reaction
The book received great reviews from parents for various reasons. Some were excited their child had begun reading, and some loved the illustrations, plot, and characters. Others liked it because it appealed to their children and because it had an unusual twist on children's fear of monsters. Since the book was aimed at children, children loved the story for various reasons. Some liked the book because it was funny, and because it helped not to be scared of monsters at nightNyctophobia
Nyctophobia is a phobia characterized by a severe fear of the darkness. It is triggered by the brain’s disfigured perception of what would or could happen when in a dark environment....
. The book received a 4.5 rating at Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, and a 4/5 on Circle Time book reviews.
Style
The Monster Bed is not unusual in its writing style and illustration style.The book was written by Jeanne Willis
Jeanne Willis
Jeanne Willis is an author of several children's books, including The Monster Bed , the Dr. Xargle's Book of... series , and Shamanka...
. The style of the writing is in the format of a poem, with the first and second lines rhyming
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
and the third and fourth rhyming, such as "He took off his pillows and blankets and said, / 'From now on, I plan to sleep under my bed. / If I'm underneath and a human comes near, / It won't think to look for me, safe under here.'" There is mostly four lines per page, though some pages have six, and one page has only a single line.
The illustrations were created by Susan Varley
Susan Varley
Susan Varley is an illustrator of several children's books, including The Monster Bed.-Biography:Susan Varley was born in 1961 in Blackpool, England. She studied graphic design and illustration at Manchester Polytechnic, and illustrated Badger's Parting Gifts...
using watercolor and pencil. The illustrations give the reader the impression that both Dennis and his mother are just like humans. Susan Varley even added a small easter egg to her illustrations—a closer look at Dennis's many toys everywhere in the house reveals that they are the same creatures as seen in Where the Wild Things Are
Where The Wild Things Are
Where the Wild Things Are is a 1963 children's picture book by American writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, originally published by Harper & Row. The book has been adapted into other media several times, including an animated short in 1973 , a 1980 opera, and, in 2009, a live-action feature film...
.
Plush toy
Some editions of the book come with a plushPlush
Plush is a textile having a cut nap or pile the same as fustian or velvet.Originally the pile of plush consisted of mohair or worsted yarn, but now silk by itself or with a cotton backing is used for plush, the distinction from velvet being found in the longer and less dense pile of plush...
toy of Dennis, the main character, with a teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
in one hand and his pillow
Pillow
A pillow is a large cushion support for the head, usually used while sleeping in a bed, or for the body as used on a couch or chair. There are also throw pillows , which are pillows that are purely decorative and not designed for support or comfort...
in the other. All of the toy's limbs are moveable, including the monster's ears, and it was made to be a bedtime toy
Bedtime toy
A bedtime toy is a toy used by children while going to sleep. It is often a plush toy or something of that nature that children can cuddle up with while going to sleep, and is often combined with a nightlight....
. The toy follows all of the details in the book, down to the texture of Dennis's skin.