I remember when youngest daughter left some books out on the back porch one day. Sadly, I didn’t find them until after it had rained all night. Hey, it happens. No big deal. But when I gathered them up from the wet table, the ruinous state of one book in particular made my heart break a little. For me to feel that kind of pang over the destruction of a children’s book, you’re probably thinking it must have been an heirloom copy of some classic work of literary genius, but no. It was a simple and rather silly little book—a Little Golden Book, more precisely. Nevertheless, it’s one that holds a place of deep nostalgia for me.
The book was The Monster at the End of This Book, starring Sesame Street’s “lovable, furry old Grover” in all his awesome blueness. In it, Grover is in a fright, warning the reader not to turn the page because—gulp—there’s a monster at the end of this book! Page after page he pleads with us, setting up blockages and marveling at our rashness. In the end, it turns out that Grover was the monster all along. Whew, what a relief!
Silliness aside (though I would argue that laugh-out-loud silliness is reason enough to love it), I love this book because early in my own childhood it was the first book that showed me it was possible to interact with words on a page. They weren’t there merely to be comprehended; they were there to be engaged, to wrap my mind around and become a part of the world they described. Any good literature has the power to draw a reader in like this but, to my fledgling preschool mind, Grover’s breaking of the fourth wall put this concept on the low shelf and allowed me to reach it effortlessly. As I cast his advice aside and recklessly-slash-gleefully turned each page, he would panic over the lurking monster, and night after night I would fall deeper into the joy of enveloping myself in story—even a simple one like this. 
But alas, generations change, attention spans shorten, senses are dulled by media onslaught. So I thought as I read this book to my kids for the first time, fully expecting them to be underwhelmed. But no! I was astonished by the way they were sucked into Grover’s predicament, showing equal parts concern for his well being and deviousness as they flipped each page en route to his potential demise. Even on subsequent readings (after they already knew the shtick at the end about Grover being the monster), they displayed a beautiful ability to suspend disbelief and participate in the story. It really is a joy to watch.
Other than lovable, furry old Grover, we have also found that some of Mo Willems’ work displays this type of playful breaking of the fourth wall that draws our kids into a story in amazing ways. Most notably for our family, Willems’ book in the ‘Elephant and Piggie’ series, We Are in a Book!, has us consistently rolling on the floor in laughter.
What about you? Does your family have any favorite books whose characters interact directly with the audience?
He enjoys his work as a doctor, and regaling the aforementioned youngsters with his terrible singing voice.
He is the author of The Expected One: Anticipating All of Jesus in the Advent, Mission Accomplished: A Two-Week Family Easter Devotional, and the illustrated children’s book, The Littlest Watchman.
- There’s a Monster At the End of This Post: Books That Break the Fourth Wall - September 20, 2023
- Glorious Defeat - June 28, 2021
- Welcoming the Wandering Son - February 5, 2018
Oh, Man… Really sorry to hear that happened.
This was my wife Gina’s very favorite book as a kid, and I had never heard of it until 2 Christmases ago when I opened a little gift from her and found a weathered old copy of this book. Its sooooo fun and messy and sloppy. Inspires me every time I look at it. The copy she got me came from Amazon or Ebay and I dont believe it cost much. Hope you can at least replace the book.
it’s all ragged and warped, but thankfully i was able to salvage it. it’s got character now.
I’ve read that w/ Ben (like my parents read the same book to me) and he has the same reaction – loves it.
When I was a kid I was TERRIFIED of that book because of the title and would NOT let my mom read it to me. She had to hide it on top of the closet for over a year before I was brave enough. 🙂 I remember, some years later, being mesmerized by the shifting viewpoints of The Neverending Story (the book, not the movie) and how the two worlds were signified by different color print. And these days Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus is one of my favorites to read to kids.
“Even on subsequent readings (after they already knew
the shtick at the end about Grover being the monster), they displayed a
beautiful ability to suspend disbelief and participate in the story. It
really is a joy to watch.” This is one of my very favorite things about kids. You put it so beautifully, Scott.
very kind, thank you.
The real question is: Do you read it with Grover’s voice? Because it’s only a REALLY good story if there are funny voices involved…
i think you know the answer to that question. 😉
We demand a reenactment at the next meeting.
_The Monster At the End of The Book_ isn’t a simple little Golden Book. It’s a classic! Or at least almost. Isn’t fifty years the parameters for a classic? And I read that one as a kid. I was so excited when my own kids were born and I discovered it was still in print, and still is now. My kids love it as much as I did, and you’re so right about the interactive fun. We struggle to turn the pages when Grover builds his brick walls and ties things down with ropes. I discovered Piggie and Gerald through my daughter’s first grade class last year, and got to read the book one to her class of highly-entertained students (and who knows how many times they’d heard it at that point!).
“isn’t a simple little Golden Book. It’s a classic!” –well i’m starting to see that now! happy to hear that so many others love it!
happy conclusion: some thoughtful friends gifted us a shiny new copy during small group at church today. grover lives!
I was just talking the other day with my mother-in-law about how much I loved this book growing up (she said her son, my husband, always wanted to stop before the end!). I can’t wait until my daughter is big enough to get it. I’ve already tried her on some of the Mo Willems books, but she’s not into them yet. I’m biding my time impatiently. 🙂
Our family loves We Are in a Book!
Herve Tullet’s books, Mix it Up! and Press Here, have the same sort of interactive feel. There are no characters, but instead the narrator speaks directly to the reader, and kids get to press, smear, clap, and blow on the pages. I read this to a group of kindergarteners and one sighed happily, “That book is really magic!” She gets it 🙂
That was one of my favorite books as a kid! Lovable, furry old Grover. We also had a book that went with a tape player that had four colored buttons on it (red, blue, yellow, and green) and Grover would say, “Do not push the red button!” Of course we’d push the red button, and Grover would lose his mind. SO many giggles over that one!
We Are in a Book definitely has that same magic. “Banana!”