Monster Museum

by Marilyn Singer, Gris Grimly (Illustrator)

Come in--if you dare--and meet the werewolf, Count Dracula, the mummy, and some of their slimy, screaming, slithering friends. They're just dying to show you a good time!

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Poetry, Childrens, Monsters, Fantasy, Art

40 pages, Hardcover

First published September 2, 2001

About the author

Marilyn Singer was born in the Bronx (New York City) on October 3, 1948 and lived most of her early life in N. Massapequa (Long Island), NY. She attended Queens College, City University of New York, and for her junior year, Reading University, England. She holds a B.A. in English from Queens and an M.A. in Communications from New York University.

In 1974, after teaching English in New York City high schools for several years, she began to write - initially film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides and film strips. Then, one day, when she was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, she penned a story featuring talking insect characters she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, she wrote more stories and in 1976 her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published by E.P.Dutton & Co.

Since then, Marilyn has published over seventy books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry. She likes writing many different kinds of books because it's challenging and it keeps her from getting bored. She has won several Children's Choice and Parents' Choice Awards, as well as the following: the Creature Carnival, Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book, 2005; I Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes with Religion, New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age," 2001; Stay True: Short Stories for Strong Girls, Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2000 (YALSA); On the Same Day in March, Booklist's Top Ten Science Books of 2000; NCSS-CBC Notable Book, 2000; Deal with a Ghost, finalist, YA category, Edgar Award, 1998; It Can't Hurt Forever, Maud Hart Lovelace Award, 1983; The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 1983; Turtle in July, NCTE Notable, N.Y.Times Best Illustrated and Time Magazine Best Children's Books of 1989; Turtle in July was also a Reading Rainbow review book.

Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, a cousin of their beloved and recently departed poodle Easy, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling named Darling. Her interests include dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, meditation, playing computer adventure games and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of the season this year.

Some of the fun in this book is watching the kids as they tour the Museum. There is one boy that has a snarl on his face and you can tell he doesn't want to be there or anywhere and hates everything. As the tour goes on, it looks like all the children are being snatched away. It is amusing and the tour goes on. I like the exit sign "Exit for those who survived".

The monsters were fun and many of them were from movies like the Blob. The artwork was great with plenty to look at and the rhymes about the monsters was fun also. We read this together by pumpkin light with my brother reading in spooky voices. It was family fun. They kids loved this one. It was such a production, you can love anything when all the senses are engaged. This was fun.

[Mariah Roze · Rating 3 out of 5]

This lead to some great discussions in my classroom :)

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twenty-two poems take young readers on a tour of the 'Monster Museum' in this picture-book that is much enhanced by the suitably creepy illustrations of Gris Grimly. From the one and only Count Dracula - the Transylvanian monster with the most class - to the shrieking banshee - an Irish ghost with an unmistakably piercing wail - the fierce and fearsome, the ghastly and ghoulish, are profiled in Singer's brief poems, and deliciously depicted in Grimly's distinctive artwork. The result is a poetic collection that makes for spooky Halloween reading!

Although I enjoyed Monster Museum, I have to concur with the friend who recommended it to me, in finding Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich a far superior collection, when it comes to this sort of monstrous poetry. Unlike Rex's stellar collection, some of the rhymes here felt distinctly forced, and others left me cold altogether. I think I would have been significantly less charmed, were it not for the Grimly illustrations. I checked this one out of the library this past weekend, together with a follow up collaboration by Singer and Grimly, Creature Carnival , and now I'm debating whether I'll read that second title... That said, I do recommend this one, as I think it's an entertaining read for the Halloween season, and provides more than a few fun visuals, but I think readers should make an effort to track down the Adam Rex collection as well.

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ladies and gentlemen!
Boys and ghouls!
Step right up!
Behind this curtain lies a ghastly concoction of..
Delight! Horror! Fantasy and terror!
Your every wish is our command!
Your every whimsical desire brought to life!
But I'm warning you..
There's always a price!
Welcome to the greatest show unearthed!

*(Stolen from the lyrics to Greatest Show on Earth, By: Creature Feature)

[Kathy (Kindle-aholic) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids had so much fun with this. The boychild has been reading and re-reading the poems.

Quick, funny, and lots of classic monsters.

They especially like the one about Frankenstein's Monster where he complains that everyone calls him "Frankenstein" but that's not his name. He was never given his own name.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off - I love Gris Grimly's work. His monster stuff is fabulous. Add in Marilyn Singer's creepy monster poetry and you have a hit on your hands.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit, as usual, that I will buy any book that Gris Grimly does the illustrations or covers for.

The verses in this book are okay, but really, the artwork is what brilliant and fun.

[Ashley Adkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spooky book that is fun for the Halloween season. The illustrations were full of interesting details. Short poems create a quick read that is enjoyable for any age.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short collection of poems and illustrations about famous monsters. I adore Gris Grimly's illustrations. They are the right balance of creepy and funny. The poems are ok. Some are more clever than others. I especially liked Frankenstein's Monster, The Blob, King Kong and Medusa.

[Monster]

Writer/poet Marilyn Singer provides a group of school children with a guide through her monster museum, where they are introduced to a wide variety of monsters from film, literature, mythology, and folklore. From banshees to zombies, Singer’s witty rhymes will entertain children of all ages. Gris Grimly’s illustrations are a perfect match to Singer’s words- just over-the-top enough to balance menace with humor. Monster Museum is a great choice for a read-aloud- a wonderful way for parents to connect with their child’s interest in monsters. The glossary of monsters in the back of the book and the poetry format offer curriculum connections that make this a great choice for teachers and school library media specialists to share with their students as well. This is a fun book and children who enjoy monsters will be glued to the pages. Recommended for public and school libraries. For Ages 5-9

[natercopia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good artwork plus entertaining rhyming poems is just a brilliant combination to put this monster museum in one piece. I'm just in awe with Gris's effortless artwork everytime I pick up his books (Grimericks with Susan Pearson, The Dangerous Alphabet with Neil Gaiman) co-author with another writer. This particular book made monsters look like they were literally introducing themselves in a humorous tone to the students visiting the 'scary' museum. Marilyn Singer's rhyming poem is just pure awesome. They should combine often to produce such entertaining children books in future. Marilyn Singer and Grim Grisly is the perfect combination.

[Taylor Walczak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a cute set of poems that can really gear you up for Halloween. The poems have their own specific rhyming schemes and even then, sometimes the forms change, just depending on the monster. This really allows you to show kids that you can find a creative poem almost anywhere as long as you think about it, as well as words that you wouldn't expect to rhyme together. What's really fun about this, too, is that it references monsters that they are already familiar with, so the poems just make them more fun, as well as the little glossary of monsters at the end of the book.

[Trinity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read with your child, especially right before Halloween! The glossary (or "Glos-Scary") at the end with a short paragraph describing each monster with its Literary or Mythological origin was a fine addition.

[Lynae Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My eight year old son and I really enjoyed this book. It was perfect! And as if the clever poetry and awesome pictures weren't enough, the touch of education from the 'glos-scary' in the back completed it so very nicely for us. Very fun book!

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun collection of poems about monsters, with even better illustrations. Could lead into a project where students write their own poems about a made-up monster and the class creates a "museum" where visitors can walk around the room reading the poems.

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love books like this. My kids liked it a lot and my son was laughing at the pictures. It was really neat to see all the different drawings of the monsters from the artist point of view that goes with the story.

[Shacoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another book that is illustrated by Gris Grimly. I am a huge fan of his illustrations which are both dark and comedic. As for the story itself, it is okay. It centers around all kinds of different monsters. It is a rhyming book.

[Lina Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

the rhyme are awesome and the drawings are super! after reading this book, gris grimly is one of my favourite artist! the story is really easy to follow too

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monster Museum is a collection poems about monsters.

I would use this book during a poetry unit just show students that poems can be about anything.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

46 months - Well written rhymes and great drawings. O loves this book and she's had us read it every night since it came home from the library.

[Whitney Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love...

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever prose & intricate illustrations but a bit over the head of younger kids. Maybe start with the monster explanations at the back.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

The poetry was ok. I love the illustrations! Gris Grimly is one of the greatest illustrators!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shades of Shel Silverstein's rhymes with a monstrous twist. Grim Grimly's illustrations are a sweet added treat to this collection.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just unfortunate. All done in rhyme. Could be a fun way to introduce kids to poetry but did not speak to me.

[Kelsi-Rhea Kemp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains a series of poems featuring different traditional monsters. The book begins with an introductory poem of the monster museum and ends with a poem about making friends with the monsters. Count Dracula, The Wear wolf, the zombie, the man-eating plants, the mummy, Frankenstein’s monster, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the blob, King Kong, the Gremlin, the ogre, the troll, the giant, Bigfoot, Medusa, the Cocatrice and Co., the Unicorn, Poltergeist, ghost, and the Banshee are all of the monsters featured in this book of poetry.

I love children's rhyming books, especially when they have a spooky/ Halloween theme. However, I wasn't crazy about this book as a whole. There were a couple of poems that were really catchy and had great word flow, but some of the poems were down right awkward and I had a lot of trouble getting into the flow of reading it. My students lost interest quickly!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy how this book is set up as a tour of a creepy monster house. Setting up the book this way makes the read whimsical and interactive. Every poem introduces you to a different resident of the house. I think it's neat how there are the usual 'monsters' like a werewolf, count Dracula, and zombies. But Singer is creative and includes a man-eating plant, the blob, and even bigfoot. It's almost like any scary thing a child could think of. The book ends with subtle reminders for kids to be kind and be friends, which I think is adorable. It even has a glossary that gives facts about all of the monsters in the story, which is fun. This book gives a lighthearted feel about monsters that children might be scared of, through rhyme poetry. What first caught my eye about this book is the illustrations, since they are so colorful and detailed.

[Michelle Gallegos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally enjoyed reading this book! This book is about a group of students who take a field trip to Monster Museum. It was fun to read with all the rhymes, I know kids love to read books that have rhythm and rhyme; this book definitely does a good job. The story line is cute and funny, as they walk through the museum, the students are snatched by a monster; the illustration are fun to look at. This is a great book to read when learning about poetry or around halloween time.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was alright, cute poems about the different monsters. The artwork didn't do it for me. But since that's a personal preference I'm not sure how well you can judge. Still, it was only "alright" for me. Nothing to really write home about.
Recommended? eh
Buy/Borrow? Borrow

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This visit to the monster museum is full of freaky poems. Most rhyme well and have a good cadence. Sometimes the endings are a little huh.., but all in all the book works. Plus the Grimly illustrations are perfect for the tales.