Monster is sad and lonely because no one wants to play with him or be his friend. Then, one day, a little girl happens to sit with him a lunch. This is a sweet story about making friends and not judging people based on appearance.

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.

This children's story teaches some deep lessons in an easy to understand manner, encouraging kids to look past appearances like the "monster" who was ugly and scary, into your true self lies, where an individual is usually kind and devoted.

The story is nicely illustrated however the story itself is very simplistic. It doesn't give the reader a reason why other children wouldn't play with Monster. What makes him different? The child reader needs to be able to identify with these differences in order to recognise them in their peers.
I would have liked the whole school to embrace him as a friend by the end of the book rather than Monster being partnered with one lone friend.

The Sad, Sad Monster is a picturebook by Delores Costella. A sad monster is sad at school. He is sad because he doesn’t have any friends. Is there someone who can make him happy?

The Sad, Sad Monster is a a book about friendship. The monster is sad because no one wants to be his friend, but he fails to see one young girl that never seems to be far away. Before long the pair become friends, sharing some of their favorite things and having fun together. The story is simple, with short sentences and basic vocabulary which makes it a good choice for the earliest independent readers, and those starting on the journey there. The illustrations are sweet and cute, with hints to what might be coming next. Monster loving toddlers, and those that just want to read on their own, will enjoy the read.

This is a fantastic book about the importance of staying true to yourself and finding friends at the same time. It is geared towards pre-schoolers, which can be a difficult age sometimes. The illustrations are kept simple so that they enhance the story instead of distract. Any child who is going through a difficult time making friends would benefit from this book.

(A copy was provided to read and review.)

Our monster is actually quite a cute little monster, except maybe for a few rather sharp teeth.
Still the children are scared and don’t want to play with him, which leaves the wee guy lonely and sad.

One day a little girl approaches him. Sarah isn’t scared and soon the two play together and become fast friends.

The Sad, Sad Monster is a really lovely picture book about acceptance. Children learn to respect each other despite their differences and they see that we need to get to know others first, as someone with really sharp teeth can still make a very good friend.

The illustrations are vivid and colourful and what I really love, we can see Sarah already early on, even before she walks up to the monster and addresses him. We can see how she watches him carefully and when she likes what she sees makes her decision, this is someone she wants to play with.
That’s actually very cleverly done, little Sarah offers an excellent example how to look out for new and suitable friends.
Highly recommended.

This was a really cute book that shows how important it is to be kind to everyone no matter what they look like or who they are. While I feel like it's important for kids to learn that, anymore, it seems like everyone could use a refresher course. It's a book for little kids, but everyone should take the time to read it and think about the message it is sending.

Small story of a hairy ball of a monster who would be sweet and happy if the other kids gave him a chance, but they’re afraid of him, which makes him. . . you guessed it, title drop. It takes a brave little girl befriending him to take away the sadness.
No beating about the bush here, the story is plainly drawn and easy to grasp. The moral: be Sara, who’s incredibly cute, even in the foreword.

This was a very cute book. This would be a great book for elementary school teachers to read to young children. The illistrations are well done and it has a great message. I recieved a copy of this book on Book Galley to review.

Absolutely adorable. I'm a sucker for children's books with monsters. The Sad, Sad Monster is perfect for little kids that are learning about making friends. A simple way to teach a child that its easy to help someone else be happy.

This book would be useful for young children, as it uses few words and simple words to make it accessible for children. I really liked the illustrations, they would really help children to understand the story and develop their empathy. This story is about friendships and may be used to show how children feel when they are alone. It could be used to discuss individuality and the differences everyone has with each other, this could help with acceptance and friendships.

Awww this is a lovely little story, it is ideal for toddlers through to beginning readers about making friends, and it will be ideal for any little ones that love monsters!! It has nice, clear images and simple sentences to make this book ideal for first readers.

This book was so fun! I wish we all could have jammie day! Little ones will enjoy this book.

Great children's book, teaches good social relationships for children in real life scenerio. The monster is adorable and relatable in a children's mind. My daughter was thrilled to have this read to her she ask to read it again I do believe she also thought it was a great book as well!

I like the art and feel it was overall okay. I did not love it as much as I thought I would.

Sometimes I don't think outside the box. I was browsing around on Netgalley, not that my TBR isn't big enough as it is, and it dawned on me that there are picture books I can review. My daughter is two years old and loves books, and this is a perfect opportunity to read new books without a trip to the bookstore or library.

So what did we think? I liked this short, simple story about a monster who attends human elementary school, and is shunned by the other kids. A little girl decides she wants to play with Monster, and all is good! It had a nice message about inclusion.

My daughter seemed not as interested, but monsters aren't really her cup of tea at the moment. She did like the pictures of girl and monster swinging and playing, however.

A simple book on making friends and not being alone. I like the look of the monster, it’s not scary, and a bit fluffy. Overall, not too bad.

Added Goodreads
Added Litsy

Monster is sad at school. Even though he is a good monster, no one plays with him. He's lonely. But one day, Sarah asks to eat lunch with Monster and they become friends. With his new friend, Monster isn't lonely anymore.

The Sad, Sad Monster is a simple story about kindness and friendship. Its simplicity and illustrations will appeal to pre-readers and beginning readers. Kids will like it, but as an adult I'm left wanting a bit more from the book.

Cute kids story. Encourages kids to look past appearances like the "monster" who was ugly and scary, into the soul where your true self lies, where the monster is kind and devoted.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.