My Mummy Is A Monster is the first book in the Monstrous Me collection by Natalie Reeves Billing, illustrated by Lisa Williams. The books aim to explore the idea of split perspectives, looking at life from alternative angles and viewpoints, helping children and families find balance, connectedness, and well-being. There’s never been a more critical time for sharing this message. With families spending more time together at home, the books offer that warm, engaging family time in the midst of a long day.
The first part of the book follows a child who believes her mummy is a monster because of all the ‘horrible’ things she makes her do. You know the usual stuff we hated as a child, such as brushing our hair, walking ANYWHERE, and having to take a bath. We follow the children on a typical day and see exactly why they think their mummy is monstrous.
But that’s not all! The best is yet to come. At the midpoint, we are asked to close the book and flip it. Literally and figuratively turning the story on its head. Here we find the second part. My Children are Monsters. Now, we see things through Mummy’s eyes, and understand why she feels her children are monsters! We see the everyday struggles, listening to the children moan at everything she asks them to do. This split child/parent perspective allows us to understand both sides of a story.
You can pick the book up and read from any side, it makes no difference. It works whichever way you start. The message is always the same. If we help our children understand why we do the things we do and vice versa, we will create a safe space—a circle of trust. Listening to our children gives them heaps of confidence in themselves, in us, and the world around them. Once finished, why not search through the illustrations and look for the hidden messages? Or Monstrometers? These are magical mirrors that allow us to identify the types of monsters lurking around us. You could also head over to the website below to download fun, monstrous activities, such as monster making, monster baking, comprehension, and colouring—all completely free.
The book is truly unique and available from Amazon as a paperback and ebook. It can also be purchased as a limited-edition hardback, all from the author’s easy to navigate website.
http://www.lollipoplodge.net
