How I Met My Monster
How I Met My Monster Book Summary
“How I Met My Monster” is a delightful and humorous children’s book that explores the world of monsters and the relationship between a young boy named Ethan and the monster that lives under his bed. In the middle of the night, when Ethan is looking for his toy truck, he discovers a message that reads, “Monsters! Meet here for final test.” Initially, Ethan is convinced that his parents are trying to trick him, but he soon sees five sets of colorful eyes blinking at him from beneath the bed.
A parade of quirky, squeaky little monsters then arrives to compete for the privilege of being Ethan’s monster under the bed. However, only the little green monster named Gabe has the perfect blend of stomach-rumbling and snorting that is needed to get Ethan into bed and keep him there so he can fall asleep. With its perfect balance of giggles and shivers, “How I Met My Monster” is the silly-spooky prequel to the award-winning “I Need My Monster” and “Where’s My Monster?” series.
Parents will appreciate the book’s message of friendship and how it gently addresses common childhood fears in a humorous and light-hearted way. The book is full of fun and colorful illustrations that bring the monsters to life and keep the reader engaged. The story is told from Ethan’s perspective, and we see his personality and character grow as he forms a bond with his chosen monster, Gabe.
Overall, “How I Met My Monster” is a charming and entertaining read that will delight children and parents alike. It is part of a series, and fans of the previous books will enjoy the recurring themes and imagery throughout.
The How I Met My Monster Book Reading Level
“How I Met My Monster” is a fun and engaging children’s book suitable for kids between the ages of 3 and 8. The book is 32 pages long and published by Flashlight Press for Young Readers on November 1, 2019. It is part of the “I Need My Monster” series, which includes five books. If your child enjoys this book, they will love the other books in the series.
Filled with fun and colorful illustrations, “How I Met My Monster” is a delightful read that is perfect for children in kindergarten to grade 2. It addresses common childhood fears in a humorous and light-hearted way and encourages kids to embrace their differences and form strong bonds with those around them.
The How I Met My Monster Story Characters
Inspiring children to go to bed and stay in bed is the work of author Amanda Noll.
Artwork by Howard McWilliam in pencil and acrylic, depicting Ethan and the not-so-scary monsters under his bed, makes this series of books a must-read. Especially helpful for parents who want to ensure their children don’t get to what’s under the bed.
The main characters in the book include:
- Ethan (the young boy and main character of the story)
- Yellow monster (the teacher Mr. Zee)
- Green monster (Gabe)
- Purple monster (Gebghis)
- Orange monster (Morgan)
- Red monster (Abigail)
About Children’s Book Author Amanda Noll
Amanda Noll is the award-winning author of the “I Need My Monster” series, which includes “I Need My Monster,” “Hey, That’s MY Monster!,” “How I Met My Monster,” “Are You My Monster?” and “D is for Drool: My Monster Alphabet.” Born and raised in Canberra, Australia, Noll immigrated to the United States as a teenager, where she attended college and met her husband. She began her career in the purchasing division of a private university but left to focus on raising her children and writing. She later completed a Master’s degree in Education and became an elementary school librarian.
Noll credits her “fundamentally twisted sense of humor” to either genetics or being raised on a steady stream of Australian humor and science fiction. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children and enjoys sharing stories with the “little monsters” in her life. In addition to the “I Need My Monster” series, Noll has published several other works, including “I Need My Monster” (Flashlight Press, 2009), which has won multiple state awards. She continues to write and share her stories with children and families worldwide.
Amanda Noll Books
Joanna Ho’s book titles are listed below.
- I Need My Monster (published on April 1, 2009)
- Hey, That’s MY Monster! (Published on September 1, 2016)
- How I Met My Monster (Published on November 1, 2019)
- Are You My Monster? (Published on August 1, 2019)
- D is for Drool: My Monster Alphabet (Published on September 1, 2021)
- I Need My Monster (Published on January 13, 2022)
Howard McWilliam Illustrator
Howard McWilliam is an illustrator and cover artist who has worked on dozens of children’s novels, puzzles, and picture books. He is best known for his work on the bestselling “I Need My Monster” series, for which he provided illustrations. McWilliam began his career as a financial journalist and magazine editor in London but quickly found his true passion was visual expression. He built up a successful illustration career on the side until he was able to leave his day job and focus on his art full-time.
In 2005, McWilliam left his career as a magazine editor and journalist to concentrate on illustrating. He has since worked on several projects, including serving as a cover artist for The Week in the U.S. and U.K. He currently lives in Cheltenham, England, with his wife Rebecca and three children. McWilliam’s unique blend of humor and whimsy has made him a popular choice among children’s book authors and publishers. He continues to create captivating illustrations that delight readers of all ages.
You can find examples of Howard McWilliam’s illustrations on his website https://www.howardmcwilliam.com/childrens.
Where to Buy The How I Met My Monster Book
The book is available on Amazon in multiple formats, including Kindle, Audiobook, paperback, and hardcover. This link below leads to the hardcover edition.
| Amaon.com (Hardcover) | How I Met My Monster (I Need My Monster) Hardcover – Picture Book, November 1, 2019 |
| Authors Amazon BIO Page | Purchase More books by Amanda Noll on Amazon |
Book Details
The only thing that will keep our children from sneaking downstairs to eat all of the food in the pantry is if they read this book and finish it before getting out of bed.
Publisher: Flashlight Press; First Edition, First edition (November 1, 2019)
Language: English
Hardcover: 32 pages
ISBN-10: 194727709X
ISBN-13: 978-1947277090
Reading age: 3 – 8 years, from customers
Lexile measure: AD600L
Grade level: Kindergarten – 2
Item Weight: 1.1 pounds
Dimensions: 10.25 x 0.4 x 10.25 inches
How I Met My Monster Reviews
At the time of this writing, there were nearly 900 consumer reviews on Amazon with a star rating of 4.9 out of 5. 93% of reviewers gave the book a 5-star rating. Below are a few of the top reviews of the book.
My Almost Grandsons Loved it!
– By Kimberly
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2022
“I bought the second book, I Need My Monster, first and both my grandsons absolutely loved it! I bought the board book for the three year old and this one for the 5 year old. All the monster books by this author are lovely, quirky, and funny..”
Very cute and wonderful graphics
– By Elise
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2022
“This book is adorable. So adorable that I ended up finding and purchasing the whole (3 books) series and purchased the first book of the set for my nephew, who shares the same name as the main monster!
The color and illustrations are fabulous and vibrant, and the story is unique. Very well recommended!”
Cute series
– By Irma
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2022
“My daughter and I love these books. We want monsters. She wants one that brings pizza. Lol”
How I Met My Monster Read Aloud
Below, you will find two excellent “How I Met My Monster” read-aloud videos. The first video includes animations that are not included in the physical book. The second video is a traditional reading showing the book’s interior pages, so you can see what you would buy.
Both videos are great and provide a fun and engaging way to experience the story.
This first one is a 13:14 video titled “How I Met My Monster,” read by Nancy Cartwright.’ This is a fantastic animated version of the story by Nancy Cartwright from Storyline Online.
Below is a 9:14 video. It’s shorter as it does not include additional animations. The video is titled “How I Met My Monster – Read Aloud Picture Book for Kids – Bedtime Stories Audiobook.”
This is a more traditional reading showing the book pages and illustrations read by a female narrator.
