Posted by alyssa | Filed under News
We just attended the 2011 Midwest Independent Booksellers Association Trade Show at The Depot in Minneapolis. We met a lot of wonderful people, saw some amazing books, and had a fantastic time.
Posted by Colleen | Filed under News
Membership in The National Association For The Education of Young Children , also known as NAEYC means you get some awesome books. I’ve been reading Ellen Galinsky’s book: MIND IN THE MAKING: SEVEN ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS. And I’m struck by the way the boys in NO MONSTER HERE demonstrate and use these skills. We didn’t intend this. We simply wanted to show brothers engaged in imaginative, active play.
1.FOCUS AND SELF CONTROL = paying attention, remembering rules, thinking flexibly, and exercising self-control. Jacob has to remember what he’s said. He thinks flexibly as he creates the monster. Joey pays attention and remembers the clues. He thinks flexibly when he goes back through the rooms in reverse order. When the boys are playing hide and seek, they remember and follow the rules of the game
2.PERSPECTIVE TAKING = figuring out what others think and feel, empathy Jacob gives clues so Joey will keep looking. Joey figures out if Jacob is telling the truth & where the monster might hide.
3.COMMUNICATION = being able to communicate and knowing if we are understood Jacob is constantly looking to see if Joey believes him. Joey is wondering if Jacob is making the monster up or if there really is a monster.
4.MAKING CONNECTIONS = figuring out what’s the same and different, sorting and seeing connections, then using them Jacob uses visual cues in the rooms to describe the monster. Joey connects the cues and the rooms as he goes back through the house.
5.CRITICAL THINKING = searching for valid and reliable knowledge Joey asks his parents about the monster, using them as a resource.
6.TAKING ON CHALLENGES = meeting challenges instead of avoiding them. Jacob invents the monster. And Joey takes on the challenge of finding the monster.
7. SELF-DIRECTED, ENGAGED LEARNING = allows us to realize our potential and change as we learn. Play is a form of self- directed, engaged learning. When Joey finds the Monster, Jacob decides the game needs to go on because the Monster wants to play.
We can use No Monster Here to help children develop these essential skills, to think about thinking, solve problems, be active, make connections and use their imaginations.
Tags: active play, communication, critical thinking, Ellen Galinsky, engaged learning, focus and self control, imaginative play, making connections, Mind in the Making, NAEYC, No Monster Here, perspective taking, self-directed, Seven Essential Life Skills, taking on challenges
No Monster Here Workshop on Dec. 4,2010
Posted by Colleen | Filed under News
As a fundraiser for ECEN, which stands for Early Childhood Educators Network, a student group at Shasta College, we presented a workshop based on No Monster Here. This was a great way to spend a morning. The participants were great! We talked about how to expand learning using a picture book in all areas of an early childhood or elementary learning environment. I shared ideas for activities for children from 6 wks to 12 years old. Everyone likes to be read to AND all ages enjoy a good story if you get them involved. The workshop went so well that we are planning more of them! And some participants turned in their monster art pages; so we’ll post those soon.
Why kids love Where the Wild Things Are and No Monster Here
Posted by Colleen | Filed under News
Books about monsters were always a hit in our childcare center and elementary school. Children and grown-ups loved sharing books that let us stretch our imaginations. In his book, Where the Wild Things Are , Mercer Mayer let Max journey to the land of the wild things and become their king. In our book, No Monster Here, Joey searches until he finds the monster. For Max, the task is to face the wild things and become their king. For Joey, the task is to discover where the monster is hidden. In both books, the boys have to do something. It’s not enough to just sit there.
This is the attraction of monster stories. In these books, children get to be the heroes and solve the problem. In fantasy, they face something bigger than they are and triumph. So books about monsters are fun and a way to be brave and solve a problem with the main character.
And, while these books are considered children’s picture books, they work for all ages because grown-ups still have that child within.
Tags: books, fantasy, heroes, imagination, Mercer Mayer, No Monster Here, picture books, problem-solving, Where the Wild Things Are
This is my favorite!
Posted by Tim | Filed under News
Here’s Georgia, showing us her favorite picture in her book, No Monster Here!
Tags: early literacy, favorites, illustration, monsters, picture book
All Kinds of Monsters
Posted by Tim | Filed under News
There are wonderful monsters in our monster art gallery now. We’ve received art work through email and at events. On March 22nd, we went to Tremont Elementary in Dixon, CA. The students were wonderful. They talked about the book, sang the No Monster Here Song and drew their own versions of a monster. Check out their work in our monster art gallery.
Francie Dillon: Literature for Children class presentation
Posted by admin | Filed under News
Last November, Colleen & Tim presented to professor, storyteller and singer, Francie Dillon’s Literature for Children class at California State University in Sacramento.
Francie Dillon (right) leading a class discussion.
We read the book to the class and spoke about the process of creating No Monster Here from concept to print and the unique collaborative relationship between the writer Colleen and illustrator Alyssa. It is rare when an author gets to not only choose their illustrator but work directly with them. This is one of the benefits of publishing a book yourself and we feel this collaborative approach is what helps make No Monster Here unique. It also allowed for Colleen and Alyssa to creatively weave educational concepts into the book.
We had a book give-away for students and passed along copies of our monster art project for them to use in their classrooms.
Colleen Presenting to the class. Literature for Children is televised on Sacramento Public Television as a part of their free education series.
Alyssa’s first book reading
Posted by alyssa | Filed under News
Alyssa reading to the children at Marian University preschool in Fond du Lac, WI.
Coloring!
Color Crayons
Finished Monster Art!
Last week we had Alyssa’s first couple of book readings of No Monster Here. She did two readings at the Marian University preschool in Fond du Lac, WI and then three readings at the UW Oshkosh preschool. “It was such a fun experience reading the book to the 2-4 year olds. They were really interested and excited about the book which made me really happy. All of them were looking for the monster. Too darling!” said Alyssa. Afterwords we did an activity with the kids where they got to draw what their idea of a monster is. They all had such great ideas. One kid drew a monster with 10 eyes, and another drew a monster holding a jar of mustard. Heh heh, craziness. We’ll share some more of their drawings soon in Monster Art.
Before No Monster Here
Posted by alyssa | Filed under News
In 2000, Alyssa Scholz Thomas and Andrea Learn created a stop motion animation entitled “Jacob’s Monster” for their animation class at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
Jacob’s Monster was based on the story “Charlie and the Monster”, written by Colleen McGarvey Thomas, which was the inspiration for what No Monster Here is today.
Story by: Colleen McGarvey Thomas
Animators: Alyssa Thomas, Andrea Learn
Jacob: Hailey McGarvey
Joey: Taylor McGarvey
Monster: Jon Thomas
Bella Bru Event
Posted by alyssa | Filed under News
Bella Bru sponsored a No Monster Here event this week and made special monster cookies for the kids. They look yummy! What do you think?
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