"Monsters at School" by Laura Baker did not really grab me. While I enjoyed the cute and fun illustrations, there was not much of a storyline. I do think younger children may enjoy this book, especially looking for the dog monster on each page. For kids looking for more of a story, I would recommend looking elsewhere. Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

I would like to express my appreciation to Quarto Publishing Group-France’s Lincoln Children’s Books for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

The book is a delightful and whimsical rhyming tale about monsters that brought joy to both my child and me, becoming a favorite that was requested repeatedly.

We particularly enjoyed the interactive element of searching for the dog monster on the pages as prompted at the end of the book. It was a playful and engaging feature that kept my child entertained throughout.

Whimsical, colorful, entertaining tale about all the Monsters at School. I imagine it could help dispel any fears or anxieties kiddos may have about attending a new learning space, and I loved how it conveyed that we’re all moving through similar struggles.

Simple story with wordplay and rhymes, it’s an easy read and the illustrations are fun to explore, especially when you get to the end prompt to find a certain surprise guest who you can search through each scene for.

Thank you Netgalley for this digital ARC.

This is a very maximalist book style that very young children will enjoy flipping through, but older children and adults may find it a bit too cluttered. I would still recommend!

The bright colors, illustrations, and creative concept of this book kept my toddler engaged in the book. The added challenge introduced at the end is a great touch for future readings. We loved the characters and overall idea in this.

This was a great picture book for a kindergarten crowd. Very colourful and fun, great illustrations, lots of pictures to look at. Full embraces the chaos of young kids in the classroom, with a fun hidden game of find the dog throughout.

4.5 stars rounded up!

This was a super cute and vibrantly illustrated rhyming book! I could see this book being great for preschool audiences to expose them to the basic concept and structure of school, and for kindergarten and possibly first grade audiences who can begin to relate to the story and pick out the similarities and differences from their own school experiences!

What worked for me:
- The rhymes were rhythmic and easy to read, without having to strain for the right rhyming inflection or speech pattern! Sometimes with rhyming books I have to practice how to say the phrase to make the rhyme rhythm work, but all the rhymes in this one read very lyrically and naturally!
- The bright and visually engaging illustrations are good for capturing and holding a child's wandering attention.

What didn't work for me:
- Towards the middle of the book, the rhyme pattern is changed for two pages (pages 12 & 13 in my ARC copy) and a different rhyming pattern was used. While I can assume the change in rhyme structure was intended to reflect the situation happening on page, as someone who reads books aloud to kids for a living, I feel that this brief change in pattern is disruptive. When reading aloud, it throws off the lyrical rhythm of the story, and when first reading it, I thought the pattern had changed because we were drawing to the close of the book, but when the rhyme pattern switched back and the book continues, it made the rest of it feel almost too long. It especially bothered me because that was the only place that rhyme pattern occurred! If if had happened again at the end, or regular intervals, it would have felt better pacing-wise, but with only two pages in the whole book, it felt out of place.

Overall, I liked this book a lot and I would definitely consider reading it for a storytime, especially with preschool aged kids!

"Monsters at School" is a helpful book for learning adjectives and expanding vocabulary, although the art style and maximalist approach didn't quite resonate with me. However, I did appreciate the fun eye spy activity with the dog at the end of the book.

An absolute joy! We're so glad to see the monsters back again. This is a great read-aloud story for back to school. The bright illustrations leap off the page & paired with the short rhyming sentences make for an incredibly fun, happy, humorous read. Readers will love seeing what each monster is up to on each page & searching for dog monster throughout every scene. We cannot wait to purchase this book personally & for our nonprofit organization!

Great book for preschoolers, nursery and reception children. I love the rhymes and the images. There is a lot going on which will make it easy to read the book again and again so the children can spot everything that's happening. The adults and children will both know this book by heart.

This is a cute book with a nice rhyme scheme that could work really well either for monster-loving kids or for kids who need their fear of monsters eased.
The illustrations are well-done, though very busy. Halfway through, I thought to myself that it would be fun to have a Where’s Waldo element, only to find that there is a hidden puppy that readers can search for (revealed on the last page), so that’s fun!
I have mixed feelings about the “can’t hear monster” as someone who pays special attention to Deaf representation in literature. I think that “Deaf monster” would be a better way to practice inclusion here.
Nothing extraordinary, but a cute book!

Thank you NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books, and Laura Baker for the early access copy of Monsters at School.

Monsters at School is a story of various monsters school day experience. With rhyming and a rhythmic pattern that will catch children’s attention, this would be a great tool to teach children what the expectations of school are, with some silly twists. This story feels best suited for ages 4-6 with the language and art style used. However, this story is far from limited to that age range. The story can be used as a great teaching tool for elementary school audiences.

The search-and-find component was a pleasant surprise and will be loved by children. Monsters at School is a delightful read.

The illustrations are vibrant and remind me of Todd Parr style.

Monsters at School is an adorable book about school, and all of the people you meet on the first day. The colors, drawings, and the monsters are fun and vivid. The ending was cute because I had not realized there was a dog in each photo.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for a fair review. #MonstersAtSchool

Before nap time for the two little boys, we do story time. 📖📚Or try to each day 🤪 And today since it was rainy, windy and cold, we did more than normal. The boys LOVED these books. All of them were such cute stories and had fun illustrations. My oldest son asked lots of great questions. My middle son said, “again mommy again!!!” My favorite was Violin of Hope. It was all about the holocaust. Such a great book for elementary school teachers with that topic. It was so heartfelt and had such sweetness to it. The Big Book of Useless Knowledge had my oldest son just bursting with questions, because it was so fun!! I use to teach preschool for five years, so a fun new children’s book is always a joy for me to share with the boys before rest time. Add these to your summer reading lists! Thank you @netgalley for these advance copies.

Violin of Hope by Ella Schwartz (comes out November 4)

Monsters at School by Laura Baker (comes out June 24)

The Day I Had a Dinosaur by Ashley Wall (comes out June 10)

I See You Smile by Deborah Farmer Kris (comes out July 8)

Bubbles the Dragon by Alison Thomas (comes out April 27)

The Big Book of Useless Knowledge (comes out May 13)

I loved everything about this book! The illustrations were beyond adorable and the bright, happy colors immediately made me want to read (even as an adult).

The rhyming patter is perfect & will definitely keep the kiddos engaged. The bonus game introduced at the end made me immediately reread this book!

I can't wait to buy this one for friends with littles.

Oh my gosh! This book is adorable! Who doesn’t like monsters? This book reminds me of a mix of Richard Scary, Where’s Waldo, and Monsters Inc!
This is one of those books where a child can spend so much time looking at all of the details. This probably would’ve been one of my favorites as a kid. Super cute!!

At times, I browse NetGalley in search of picture books and children's books because even though I'm a grown-ass adult, sometimes I just need a little silly joy delivered through rhymes and illustrations, and this provides that. It's super colorful, cute, and funny, perfect for its target audience.

I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books through NetGalley.
Cheerfully colorful book about starting school. The monsters are brightly colored and all different shapes and sizes. Each has their own personality that Baker describes in just a couple words. Readers will recognize themselves and their friends in these characters. We travel through the whole school day experience and see things go well and not so well throughout the day. So much is told through the detailed illustrations. Studying them is well worth it.
A fun book for families to share before school begins. The story is encouraging and also acknowledges that not everything will be perfect.

This was so cute. I cannot wait to buy this book for all the kids I know! I really think they’re all going to love it.

My almost 3 year old loved this book! The pictures are super cute and we loved finding dog monster on each page!