A summary and review of Love Monster (2012) by Rachel Bright
The slightly hairy, a little-bit-funny-looking, Love Monster, is surrounded by cute, fluffy things. But he doesn’t let that deter him on his quest for finding love. Prepared with a plan and a suitcase of essentials (including doughnuts and back-up doughnuts, of course), Love Monster sets out. His search for love is tougher than he anticipated, but all ends well for this googly-eyed little guy.
Love Monster is darling and genuine and relatable and, though he may not realize it, completely lovable by all. Like so many other readers, we fell in love with Love Monster immediately. There are five books in the Love Monster series, as well as a show on HBO. And while we’ve never seen the show, and we have yet to acquire our own copy of Love Monster and the Extremely Big Wave, the first four books are well-loved, go-to books in our house. If you haven’t read these books, or haven’t in a while, I highly recommend connecting with them!
In the first of this picture book series, as Love Monster searches for a friend/a love/ a companion, I very much appreciate the message that can be taken by readers of any age. Haven’t we all been in situations where we feel like the odd one out? In situations where everyone else seems to be finding a connection or finding what they wanted while we stand by and watch? Love Monster sets out with a plan and hope, and he really tries, but when his search comes up empty, things get dark for him. That’s such a universally human experience, and I love that Rachel Bright touches on this without getting too heavy. I think it’s such a great opportunity to gently introduce young readers to the idea that lows happen in life, and it’s such a relatable reminder for adults as well. It’s ok to have dark times. We can and will get through.
I love the idea that once Love Monster surrenders, he finally finds his person- his monster. Because even though he didn’t find his monster friend in the places he searched, he never would have found them had he not taken the journey in the first place. What a wonderful message.
Rachel Bright’s Love Monster stories are spot-on. They’re short and pack so many life messages and so much heart. Her art is adorable and I am head-over-heels for the font she created for these books.
I HIGHLY recommend all the Love Monster books!
For a video book talk, you can visit BookBoundMama’s YouTube:
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Links!
For a lovely and inspiring interview with Rachel Bright, try this Good Journeys interview.
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Love Monster (2012)
Love Monster and the Perfect Present (2013)
Love Monster and the Last Chocolate (2014)
Love Monster and the Scary Something (2015)
Love Monster and the Extremely Big Wave (2021)