Monster Hugs

"Well, would you look at that? The only one here is ME, I lovable, furry old Grover am the monster at the end of this book! And you were so scared! I told you and told you there was nothing to be afraid of!" - The Monster at the End of This Book, Jon Stone

If you are or have ever been the parent of a toddler, you understand why I can type those words from memory.  Very recent memory, in fact.  I'm not sure if I could recite the whole book, but it certainly would surprise me if I could.

The Monster at the End of This Book may be the perfect construction for a book for toddlers; it has built-in defiance, it makes you feel brave for not being scared of the monster like Grover is, and it makes you feel powerful for knocking down brick walls and untying ropes, just by turning the pages. 

My dad read this book to me when I was a toddler, so much so that I remember how the book sounded in his voice.  And when I read it to Maeve, I probably mimic his sound slightly, but I'm also doing my darnedest to do a decent Grover impression - not trying to sound like Frank Oz, just the right inflection. 

The punchline of this story is that when I'm doing my best Grover, I get a little worked up when Grover shouts "YOU TURNED ANOTHER PAGE!" or "YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO ME, NOW STOP TURNING PAGES!"  This has started to freak Maeve out a little, so now, even when I tone it down dramatically, she still throws her arms around my neck when we get to those pages and gives me her "Protect me, please!" grip of death. 

I kind of like that game, though, because I get hugs, and I'm reading her one of my favorite childhood books.  I think she likes being scared a little bit, especially by the Momma Monster.

Love me some Grover!