Monster Mama

I found this book the other day. It was written by Liz Rosenberg, illustrated by Stephen Gammell, and originally published by the Putnam & Grosset Group in 1993. What caught my eye about it was the colorful, spattered paint illustrations. I like the darker, creepier type of picture books too, so that was a deciding factor in getting it. I don't recall it from when my girls were little, so it was new to me. The story is odd. This is the basic summary of Monster Mama ...

Despite the fact that his beloved Mama is a monster, Patrick Edward adores her,

until, one day, when Patrick Edward is attacked by three bullies, he discovers that

he might be more like this mother than he had thought.

Yeah ... that's all one sentence ... kind of odd. Since I bought the book used, I went on Amazon to read more about it. It has a lot of 5-star reviews from parents and teachers who loved the book and say it helped their children deal with bullying. There were a few negative reviews saying the book is too bizarre for children as young as four, or that Patrick Edward is also a bully by going after his attackers. Most of the reviews are positive, but I have to be honest, I agreed with the 1-star ones also.

On my first search, I found the book (which is now out of print) ranged from $30 all the way up to a whopping $400. That kind of surprised me. Upon searching again, I'm seeing lower prices. I don't know why that is. My first search was on my phone, but the second was on my laptop. That shouldn't make a difference, but even so, the prices really vary. I found the book at my Salvation Army thrift store and it's in really good condition. Softcover children's books there cost a quarter, but that particular day books were 50% off, so I guess I got a bargain.

If you've read this book, please tell me what you thought of it.