Review - Five Little Monsters Jumping on the Bed

Five Little Monsters Jumping on the Bed
by Bill Cotter
Date: 2020
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 22
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Larry the monster is up to his usual monkey-business, but this time he brought his monster friends in this new lovable Larry story from USA Today bestselling author, Bill Cotter!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This book takes the classic children's rhyme "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" and gives it the Don't Push the Button! treatment.

Larry is watching the kids, and they're jumping on the bed. Inevitably, they fall off one by one and bump their heads. The reader is invited to perform an action on each monster to help them feel better.

This is a silly rhyme, really, and it says more about the permissive parent than it does about the rambunctious children. This is kind of addressed in the illustrations, since each time Larry calls the doctor and she tells him not to let the monsters jump on the bed anymore, she's looking more and more annoyed. (Seriously, Larry! No more monsters jumping on the bed!) The book ends with a predictable but logical conclusion. And, despite all the potential concussions, nobody seems worse for wear.

The interactive part of this book feels a bit gimmicky to me. That said, fans of Don't Push the Button! will probably enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3 out of 5