"Come all Vampires, from the crypt,
through the mist and shadows slip,
curl up cozy in your cloaks ...
and I will read to you.
Skeletons, unearth your bones.
There's no need to be alone.
Rattle forth across the stones ...
and I will read to you."
Mom is ready to get her very active little one into bed for a storybook. He wants something spooky, with monsters. As he listens, he hears noises in the night. Those noises inspire a change of plans. His mother has a look of resolve, as she explains to him that beasts are beasts and need no one to care for them. It is evident this has happened on other nights.
"But they need love and comfort too!
How would you feel if it were you?"
I rise and take my mother's hand....
I know what we must do."
Off the two go on a trek through nearby trees, and up a high hill. The child calls to the many monsters and creatures he loves so well. Vampires, skeletons, dragons, ghosts, giants, and witches travel quickly to be in the audience for a bedtime reading.
"As I begin, they close their eyes,
and snuggle up - it's no surprise,
for books and bed go hand in hand....
This I know is true."
AMEN!
What a lovely, monstrous story of a child and his compassion for those creatures of the night who are often given a wide berth. Don't they have the same feelings and bedtime needs as children do? The little one is sure they do. His mother acquiesces (as I am quite sure she has done before), acknowledging his need to reassure others.
Charles Santoso's digital art is filled with texture, rich color, lovely details, and moonlight. Perfect for upcoming Halloween reads, but also just right for any bedtime spent reading together. This book speaks volumes to the real joy that comes from sharing books at any time of the day or night.
“Your work is done.... I am proud of you.”
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