Leo has a monster under his bed! At first, he is scared, but he becomes curious and eventually befriends the giant orange monster, who names itself Fred. Together, they deal with bullies, go to school show-and-tell, and have other adventures. This is a cute, not-so-scary book with funny illustrations that can be read in chapters or all at once as a bedtime story.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

RATING: 4.5 STARS
(Review Not on Blog)

There is a monster that lives under Leo's bed, and when he has to go to the bathroom he has to leap out of bed to stay out of the monster's reach. One night Leo is tired of having to leap out of bed so he bravely calls out the monster. Leo is surprised that the monster is just like him, also afraid of things - bedbugs. The monster, who likes to be called Fred, becomes friends with Leo and they go on some fun realistic adventures.

I love the illustrations in this book as well as the cute story of the monster under the bed. This is a perfect book for children's transitioning from picture books to chapter books.

***I received an eARC from NETGALLEY***

I got this short chapter book for my 8 year old son, who is in 2nd grade. He loves these types of books and is getting to the age where we sometimes read a chapter of a short chapter book before bed instead of picture books (although he still loves picture books, too!). This is a super cute book packed with funny moments, friendship, bravery, and a gentle dismantling of the "monster under the bed" fear so common in children. The illustrations are very well done and both the story and the illustrations kept my son's attention. We really like this one. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy for honest review.

Under-the-Bed Fred is a transitional chapterbook written by Linda Bailey and illustrated by Colin Jack. This is perfect for those readers moving beyond picturebooks and branching into more challenging reads. It is broken into a few smaller stories, so it is not overwhelming to readers that might still be intimidated by chapter books.

There's a monster under Leo's bed making a ruckus every night. When Leo needs to go to the bathroom, he leaps from the bed to the door -- careful not to put his feet on the floor within the monster's reach. But one night Leo gets tired of being scared and boldly calls out to the monster to see if they can't just work something out. Surprisingly, the monster listens, and Leo finds out that even enormous monsters have fears! Leo and his monster, Fred, team up to face their fears, each with his own unique strengths. Over the course of five easy-to-read chapters, their friendship blooms as they face everything from bullies to bedbugs.

Under-the-Bed Fred is a fun book for independent readers, and for sharing. I like that Leo faces his fears, and learns something about prejudice and friendship. I found Fred to be a cute and imaginative creature, making the story fun. Leo has real kid problems, and some fears shared by most children at some point. I liked his persistence and patience with Fred- and thought that the exasperation he feels towards Fred at times mirrors what adults and older sibling might feel when the target audience gives into the fears Leo faces. I think this book could help young readers face monster fears, and dealing with the stresses of bullies and school. The illustrations add a nice touch to the story, adding emotion and additional fun to the read.

I love the illustrations in this book. The plot, not as much. It's barely present. And being easy to read doesn't have to mean boring and over simplified. Even just a little more detail would have gone a long way to improve this book

Normally, I’m not a big fan of picture books with chapters. Even if they’re good stories, I’m just always looking for good read alouds. However, I did enjoy “Under-the-Bed Fred.” (I just think it would have been smarter to turn the chapters into individual books and have a series of books. Why not?!)

'Under-The-Bed Fred' by Linda Bailey with illustrations by Colin Jack is a chapter book for young readers about what to do about the monster under your bed.

Young Leo is convinced there is a monster under his bed. He knows because of the amount of noise it makes. When Leo finally finds the courage, he confronts the monster and finds that they both have fears. The monster gets named Fred, and while he is still occasionally still scary, he and Leo become friends.

The story is about being afraid of something whether it is real or not and facing it anyway. It's also about being willing to make friends with someone different. The illustrations are silly and not too scary.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Tundra Books, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Wonderful illustrations and a great storyline - the perfect combination for a children's book. 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A chapter/picture book combo about a boy, the monster under his bed, and the unlikely bond they form. Similar themes to Monsters Inc. with illustrations that are details and fun. A cute lesson in not judging others at first glance.

Under-the-Bed Fred by Linda Bailey. Illustrated by Colin Jack. Penguin Random House Canada. Tundra Books.
This is a cute, easy read-aloud story about a boy fearing a monster under his bed with super imaginative illustrations that bring light and humor to a classic bedtime situation. Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books for providing this ebook for review.

This was such a cute fun book that my three year old son and lute adored. Perfect for all kids but especially those afraid of the dark and the monsters under the bed!

Cute story about a bed monster and the boy he is supposed to keep scared.

Fred is the monster under the bed and can be a bit frightening. This story will leave you smiling as Leo finds that having a monster under your bed can be helpful.

Ha! Loved this story! So funny! A little kid meets the monster under his bed and fun times ensue! Love the show and tell at school- too funny!
Great illustrations.

When Leo discovers the monster under his bed, he decides to befriend him. At times the monster, who he names "Fred," shows his scarier side, always explaining that it's his job. In the end, Leo is the master of his monster. A sweet story about perspective for people of all ages.

I sat in the top bunk of my five year old grandsons bed after a particular tantrum and decided to read Under the Bed Fred to him. He was immediately engrossed and listened intently as Leo introduced him to all kids worst nightmares, The Monster Under The Bed. Instead of scaring children, Linda Bailey has crafted a wonderful story that names the monster and together Leo and Fred become close friends. As soon as I finished the book, my grandson asked me to read it again, which is high praise indeed. The story is great and the pictures a beautifully drawn. A highly recommended read especially if you have children or grandchildren who are scared of monsters under their beds.

Callie's Kid Review: 5 stars. I would recommend it to my friends because it's a good book. I loved the pictures in the book - some were funny and some were cool and some were colorful. I learned that when you have show and tell, maybe don't bring something that is alive. I also learned that if you think there is a monster under your bed, there really isn't since monsters don't exist.

Mommy Review: UNDER THE BED FRED by Linda Bailey is at a good reading level for my first grader and the plotline is also relevant to her age. I like how each chapter was divided and related back to school and growing up and facing your fears. The graphics were great too and the story had a lot of emphasis points but the words were never hard to read or comprehend. I enjoyed watching my daughter's reactions while she read.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fun little book about the animals that can live under your bead beginning with the monster. It's sad that we cant' say "don't let the bed bugs bite" because some kids might actually know that they do.

Leo is quite afraid of the monster under his bed until the night he really has to go to the bathroom and he successfully makes a deal with the monster to not grab his ankles. That one ankle-swipe free trip to the bathroom opens the door to a most unexpected friendship. Leo helps the monster get a name, Fred, and Fred helps Leo deal with a bully and share-and-tell.

This is a relatively easy read aimed at kids just getting into reading chapter books on their own. It has some fantastically humorous illustrations that give the story an extra oomph. Fred is a curious mixture of friendly monster with a clear sense of purpose – he must scare. Leo may be just the perfect kid for Fred. (Look at the wall decorations in Leo’s room and see if you can figure out why Leo is ok with a slightly scary friend.) And Leo is just the right straight man for Fred’s comedic antics; I found myself chuckling aloud at several points. I hope Leo and Fred get more adventures. I can see many lower grade readers discovering they love reading just because of Leo and Fred. For a fun compare/contrast with lower grade readers, have them compare/contrast Fred with Sully from Monsters Inc. Yes, there’s some similarities, but there are plenty of differences as well. The vocabulary in this is pretty beginning reader friendly. Most of the bigger words are ones you can sound out, and the majority are short words. For kids who have tackled some reading on their own and are looking for the next challenge, this may be the thing. I’ll be recommending this title to our elementary library for purchase. Hand this one to lower grade readers who want a funny read.

This was an awesome read. I love books that I can relate to and my kids can also get something out of. I don't know how many times as a kid, I jumped into bed before something grabbed my feet. Of course, I thought it was an alligator. The art was off the wall, very creative. I loved this book from start to finish.