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Monster Hands
Two best friends use rhyming ASL to help vanquish their fear of the monster under the bed in this fun, interactive bedtime readaloud.
When nighttime comes, Milo has a problem—he’s convinced there’s a monster under his bed! Luckily, his best friend Mel knows just what to do—scare the monster more than the monster scares you! So using shadow puppets on the wall, Mel and Milo make monster hands that roar, chomp and even laugh to scare the monster away. But uh oh! What if the monster thinks this is funny! This is NOT funny! Milo has an idea to show the monster who’s boss once and for all. Together Milo and Mel hatch a plan to scare the monster away forever. But in the end, they discover the true cure to a monster problem is a best friend who will stand and face it with you.
Accompanied by warm, atmospheric art that dazzles, this soon-to-be bedtime favorite will provide much comfort to children facing a common bedtime fear.
When nighttime comes, Milo has a problem—he’s convinced there’s a monster under his bed! Luckily, his best friend Mel knows just what to do—scare the monster more than the monster scares you! So using shadow puppets on the wall, Mel and Milo make monster hands that roar, chomp and even laugh to scare the monster away. But uh oh! What if the monster thinks this is funny! This is NOT funny! Milo has an idea to show the monster who’s boss once and for all. Together Milo and Mel hatch a plan to scare the monster away forever. But in the end, they discover the true cure to a monster problem is a best friend who will stand and face it with you.
Accompanied by warm, atmospheric art that dazzles, this soon-to-be bedtime favorite will provide much comfort to children facing a common bedtime fear.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2024
1 person is currently reading
143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
February 2, 2025
When a boy is reading books before bed, he is scared by a book with a monster under the bed. Will sign language, and a good friend he can see through the window, be enough to defeat the monster?
May 10, 2024
How do you take an overdone concept, i.e. the fear of a monster under your bed, and make it new and fresh?
This is how.
Monster Hands incorporates American Sign Language into its story without making it a story about being Deaf. ASL is also the thing that saves the day. That, and friendship, of course.
It's wonderful and interesting.
This is how.
Monster Hands incorporates American Sign Language into its story without making it a story about being Deaf. ASL is also the thing that saves the day. That, and friendship, of course.
It's wonderful and interesting.
February 10, 2025
A really cute picture book about battling the monsters under your bed using ASL and a friend.
May 22, 2024
SHUT UP I LOVE THIS
January 16, 2025
What do you do when there’s a scary monster under the bed? Scare it away, of course! Milo and his friend Mel communicate in American Sign Language from their neighboring windows, sharing ideas about what to do with that monster. This clever story features rhyming vocabulary in American Sign Language, and invites readers to sign along to scare that monster away. This book would be a terrific complement to interactive storytime classics like Ed Emberley’s Go Away, Big Green Monster! Be sure to check out the educator guide on the publisher's website for ASL videos and resources for sharing this book with children.
January 27, 2025
2025 Schneider Family Book Award Honor for Young Children’s Literature!
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February 6, 2025Reading age
3 - 7 years
Schneider Family Book Award Nominee for Young Children (2025),
CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards Nominee for Talk (2025)
3 - 7 years
Schneider Family Book Award Nominee for Young Children (2025),
CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards Nominee for Talk (2025)
January 31, 2025
Loved this story about two friends signing with each other from their bedroom windows. The boy is scared of a monster under his bed. The girl next door knows just what to do - you have to scare the monster more than it scares you. She signs her advice in the window, for the boy to make "monster hands" shadows on the wall that looks like a ROARing monster. Then a CHOMPing monster, and then a LAUGHing monster. None of these scared away the monster under the bed, until the boy has the idea for both of them to make roaring, chomping, laughing monsters at the same time! After that, his monster was gone.
He makes monster hands one more time, and gives his friend a sign-hug from his window.
Nothing is said about whether or not either of these characters is deaf or HoH, or if there is another reason they know how to sign. As a hearing person who has learned a bit of ASL, I can definitely vouch for its practicality in many different situations, like communicating with your next door neighbour through your windows! I love the idea of people learning to sign just because it's a useful language to know. I think we would all be better off if signing was an option for general communication.
This book is great. Enough about the monster that it doesn't feel like a book about signs. But it also includes and illustrates a number of recognisable ASL signs that you might learn some as you read. I also loved that the boy was scared and the girl was brave. Way to challenge gender norms (in a book that's not at all about gender norms)!
He makes monster hands one more time, and gives his friend a sign-hug from his window.
Nothing is said about whether or not either of these characters is deaf or HoH, or if there is another reason they know how to sign. As a hearing person who has learned a bit of ASL, I can definitely vouch for its practicality in many different situations, like communicating with your next door neighbour through your windows! I love the idea of people learning to sign just because it's a useful language to know. I think we would all be better off if signing was an option for general communication.
This book is great. Enough about the monster that it doesn't feel like a book about signs. But it also includes and illustrates a number of recognisable ASL signs that you might learn some as you read. I also loved that the boy was scared and the girl was brave. Way to challenge gender norms (in a book that's not at all about gender norms)!
May 20, 2024
I love how these best friends who are neighbors exclusively communicate back and forth across the street using ASL! It's great representation but, even if the characters aren't deaf (or maybe just one of them is?), it's a neat way to show how this form of communication can have some advantages over spoken communication. Also, I like that they work together to deal with the imagined monster.
On the one hand, I think this could be a really fun book for storytime (you could have the children learn and use the various ASL signs for "monster" and such, which are big, fierce, and fun), but this is also one of those books that I think may be best read to kids who are already scared of a monster potentially being under their bed or kids you are fairly certain would dismiss that as a possibility. I think this book could help the first group to overcome that fear, and the second group would probably just think it's a fun story, but there's another group that may be little worriers who've never thought a monster may be under there, but they're thinking about it now!
As a kid, I was definitely a part of the first group and, if I hadn't already thought of the possibility, I would have probably latched onto the idea if it was presented to me. Even though this book helps the child to conquer that fear, if it was a new fear, I'm not sure the resolution in the book would have defeated my new worry.
On the one hand, I think this could be a really fun book for storytime (you could have the children learn and use the various ASL signs for "monster" and such, which are big, fierce, and fun), but this is also one of those books that I think may be best read to kids who are already scared of a monster potentially being under their bed or kids you are fairly certain would dismiss that as a possibility. I think this book could help the first group to overcome that fear, and the second group would probably just think it's a fun story, but there's another group that may be little worriers who've never thought a monster may be under there, but they're thinking about it now!
As a kid, I was definitely a part of the first group and, if I hadn't already thought of the possibility, I would have probably latched onto the idea if it was presented to me. Even though this book helps the child to conquer that fear, if it was a new fear, I'm not sure the resolution in the book would have defeated my new worry.
February 28, 2025
This book was a Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book.
One night, when Milo scares himself by reading, he reaches out to his next door neighbor Mel for help. They communicate to each other by using through American Sign Language while looking at each other through their bedroom windows. Mel makes multiple suggestions of hand shadow figures he can make to scare off the monster under his bed. Milo tries multiple suggestions, but is not sure it scares off the monster. He suggests they both do it together, so they do. When he checks under the bed, success!
What an amazing book Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan have given us! This reminds me of the tin can-string "telephones" we used to do with our besties, but feels so fresh and up to date with the use of sign language as the means of communication.
Illustrations created by Dion MBD were rendered using custom brushes and textures using Procreate on an iPad Pro. Some traditional pecil textures were added using a modified Procreate Dry Brush. Using lots of dark blues and purples, MBD captures the feeling of night, reserving red for the "belly of the beast". I like that Milo and Mel initally signaled to each other using yellow flashlights, then communicated with actual ASL hand signs.
Another fine addition to bedtime storytimes. Also useful to show older kids how ASL can be used to communicate to others.
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 1.
One night, when Milo scares himself by reading, he reaches out to his next door neighbor Mel for help. They communicate to each other by using through American Sign Language while looking at each other through their bedroom windows. Mel makes multiple suggestions of hand shadow figures he can make to scare off the monster under his bed. Milo tries multiple suggestions, but is not sure it scares off the monster. He suggests they both do it together, so they do. When he checks under the bed, success!
What an amazing book Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan have given us! This reminds me of the tin can-string "telephones" we used to do with our besties, but feels so fresh and up to date with the use of sign language as the means of communication.
Illustrations created by Dion MBD were rendered using custom brushes and textures using Procreate on an iPad Pro. Some traditional pecil textures were added using a modified Procreate Dry Brush. Using lots of dark blues and purples, MBD captures the feeling of night, reserving red for the "belly of the beast". I like that Milo and Mel initally signaled to each other using yellow flashlights, then communicated with actual ASL hand signs.
Another fine addition to bedtime storytimes. Also useful to show older kids how ASL can be used to communicate to others.
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 1.
December 23, 2024
After Milo makes the mistake of reading about an under-the-bed monster, he’s afraid there’s one under his bed. Using a flashlight, he gets the attention of Mel in the house across the street. He signs that he’s afraid and Mel suggests making monster hands to cast scary shadows and frighten the monster away. It takes several tries and reader participation, but finally there is no monster under Milo’s bed.
Large pictures, simple story, and audience participation make Monster Hands a natural for storytime. It could work well with My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay and What Happened to You? for a program on people with disabilities. But the book offers more thematic connections with a girl taking the lead and kids problem-solving. The Halloween-colored illustrations are just spooky enough and perfectly illuminate the story. The monster that Milo imagines looks not quite real and gradually less threatening.
Mel is pictured brown showing the diversity of the Deaf community. The ASL signs are clear and easy to imitate, especially when the reader should join Milo and Mel in signing Roar, Chomp, Mwuh-ha-ha. Children may also learn the signs for scared, why, gone, hungry, idea, agree, ready, and hug. Monster Hands should be an award winner.
Large pictures, simple story, and audience participation make Monster Hands a natural for storytime. It could work well with My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay and What Happened to You? for a program on people with disabilities. But the book offers more thematic connections with a girl taking the lead and kids problem-solving. The Halloween-colored illustrations are just spooky enough and perfectly illuminate the story. The monster that Milo imagines looks not quite real and gradually less threatening.
Mel is pictured brown showing the diversity of the Deaf community. The ASL signs are clear and easy to imitate, especially when the reader should join Milo and Mel in signing Roar, Chomp, Mwuh-ha-ha. Children may also learn the signs for scared, why, gone, hungry, idea, agree, ready, and hug. Monster Hands should be an award winner.
February 27, 2025
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An adorable story of bravery, friendship, and helping others.
Milo thinks there is a monster under his bed. He asks his best friend across the street for help. Luckily, Mel knows just what to do. Together, Milo and Mel use shadows to scare the monster away.
Nicely written. A sweet story with engaging actions. Readers are sure to enjoy making monster hands along with the characters.
Milo and Mel communicate through their windows using ASL and I love how effortlessly sign language is woven into the story.
The illustrations are lovely. The artwork does a wonderful job showing the movement of the different signs. I also love the monster fonts used.
A sweet bedtime story perfect for scaring the monsters away.
An adorable story of bravery, friendship, and helping others.
Milo thinks there is a monster under his bed. He asks his best friend across the street for help. Luckily, Mel knows just what to do. Together, Milo and Mel use shadows to scare the monster away.
Nicely written. A sweet story with engaging actions. Readers are sure to enjoy making monster hands along with the characters.
Milo and Mel communicate through their windows using ASL and I love how effortlessly sign language is woven into the story.
The illustrations are lovely. The artwork does a wonderful job showing the movement of the different signs. I also love the monster fonts used.
A sweet bedtime story perfect for scaring the monsters away.
July 6, 2024
Milo suspects a monster under his bed. Luckily, his neighbor Mel and him have a habit of signing between the houses from their rooms. Mel shares ways to scare the monster with hand shadows!
This is a simply magical book! I was smitten from the get-go with the illustrations by Dion MBD. Dion is certainly talented with expressions and that makes these two friends all the more endearing. If you don't have students fascinated with Hand Shadows, you will now! Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan allow everyone to enjoy the beauty of American Sign Language through this simple story with amazing communication, truly a testament to the expressive nature of ASL. I wholeheartedly consider this book a first purchase! (Granted, I took ASL after college and still use signs with students in my classes.)
This is a simply magical book! I was smitten from the get-go with the illustrations by Dion MBD. Dion is certainly talented with expressions and that makes these two friends all the more endearing. If you don't have students fascinated with Hand Shadows, you will now! Karen Kane and Jonaz McMillan allow everyone to enjoy the beauty of American Sign Language through this simple story with amazing communication, truly a testament to the expressive nature of ASL. I wholeheartedly consider this book a first purchase! (Granted, I took ASL after college and still use signs with students in my classes.)
November 19, 2024
It is bedtime and Milo is reading books. Uh-oh! He reads a book about a monster under his bed and suddenly he is very afraid! His friend, Mel, lives next door. He signals her with a flashlight and explains his problem - in sign language. Fortunately, Mel has encountered monsters before so she knows just what to do. She answers in sign language and encourages Milo to use ASL and make large shadow puppets with his hands to scare away the monster.
It takes several different monster hands - and some teamwork - but eventually Milo and Mel vanquish the monster.
This book is wonderfully interactive as kids can repeat the hand motions that Milo and Mel use.
It takes several different monster hands - and some teamwork - but eventually Milo and Mel vanquish the monster.
This book is wonderfully interactive as kids can repeat the hand motions that Milo and Mel use.
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February 7, 2025Milo is afraid there is a monster under his bed because he read a book about it. Milo's friend Mel lives across the street and they talk to each other with sign language, so when Milo tells Mel he's afraid, she knows just what to do. She teaches Milo to make shadows with his hands and a flashlight. Monster Hands!
I loved that Milo was reading classic books, "Where the Wild Things are" "The Hungry Caterpillar" and of course the one that caused all the trouble. A darling way to solve the problem of being afraid of a monster, but also a great book about solving a problem with a friend. This will be a favorite for my grandkids for sure. Loved it!
I loved that Milo was reading classic books, "Where the Wild Things are" "The Hungry Caterpillar" and of course the one that caused all the trouble. A darling way to solve the problem of being afraid of a monster, but also a great book about solving a problem with a friend. This will be a favorite for my grandkids for sure. Loved it!
May 8, 2024
Milo reads a scary story before bed. He shouldn't have. My goodness but the pacing is everything in this book. The humor, the heart-warming, the horror!
Monster Hands is a smart, thrilling tale of being afraid and finding the right friend to both inspire your courage and brainstorm the best idea for ridding yourself of a monster under the bed. I imagine reader/listeners wanting to make their own shadow monsters with their hands.
Monster Hands also offers fantastic disability rep with its deaf protagonist. Its a great monster under the bed to add to the shelves.
Monster Hands is a smart, thrilling tale of being afraid and finding the right friend to both inspire your courage and brainstorm the best idea for ridding yourself of a monster under the bed. I imagine reader/listeners wanting to make their own shadow monsters with their hands.
Monster Hands also offers fantastic disability rep with its deaf protagonist. Its a great monster under the bed to add to the shelves.
February 6, 2025
Schneider Family Book Honor. A wonderful picture book about defeating the monster under your bed with bravery, friendship, and ASL. I loved the way Milo and Mel communicated and tackled Milo's fears. At times I felt like the digital art didn't quite work for me... I felt like Milo's face sometimes looked like that of a 30-year old, rather than a child. I love this book overall though! I haven't seen many picture books that depict ASL communication as part of a larger story, rather than the primary focus of the book.
May 14, 2024
Milo is reading before bedtime. He reads many books. But the book he reads right before climbing into bed makes him think there is a monster under his bed. He signals to his neighbor and communicates using ASL. He tells his friend that he is scared and his friend helps him use his sign language to scare the monster away.
Part story, part ASL guide, this book is not recommended for storytime as the story is confusing with instructions for hand movements included in the storyline.
Part story, part ASL guide, this book is not recommended for storytime as the story is confusing with instructions for hand movements included in the storyline.
August 19, 2024
Love how there were two stories at once.
First, friendship; a girl helped her friend get through a time that was rough for him. No matter how trivial it may seem to the reader, or even possibly to the friend, she was there for him through it all.
Second, the story about how the boy was communicating through his hands, not only to his friend, but also to the monsters. Was his friend also deaf? Or did she learn to sign from him? Who knows?!
First, friendship; a girl helped her friend get through a time that was rough for him. No matter how trivial it may seem to the reader, or even possibly to the friend, she was there for him through it all.
Second, the story about how the boy was communicating through his hands, not only to his friend, but also to the monsters. Was his friend also deaf? Or did she learn to sign from him? Who knows?!
August 31, 2024
Two neighbors sign to one another from across the street because Milo is scared to look under his bed because he think that there is a monster. And Mel tells him that the best thing to do is scare the monster by making monster hands-- that devolves into all sorts of monster hands from the scary to the funny.
It's a fun ghost/scary creature bedtime story with vivid blues to match the twilight time of bed but also offers inclusion with the friends using ASL.
It's a fun ghost/scary creature bedtime story with vivid blues to match the twilight time of bed but also offers inclusion with the friends using ASL.
January 27, 2025
Schneider Family Honor Book 2025. Milo reads a book about monsters right before bed. He’s convinced there is a monster under his bed. He signs to Mel, a neighbor girl, through his window that he is scared. She shows him signs that should scare the monster away.
Really cute book that should appeal to any young reader. I liked that the author used a deaf child as the protagonist without placing too much emphasis on his condition.
Really cute book that should appeal to any young reader. I liked that the author used a deaf child as the protagonist without placing too much emphasis on his condition.
March 15, 2025
2025 Schneider Family Honor Book; the book was also under wide discussion as a possible Caldecott contender.
I appreciated the inclusion of sign language and the ways in which the kids kept trying; perseverance at its best. Also, great references to classic children's literature!
I did sort of wish that the children had made friends with the monster instead of scaring it off. However, on thinking more, the process of scaring it off led to a strengthening of their own agency.
I appreciated the inclusion of sign language and the ways in which the kids kept trying; perseverance at its best. Also, great references to classic children's literature!
I did sort of wish that the children had made friends with the monster instead of scaring it off. However, on thinking more, the process of scaring it off led to a strengthening of their own agency.
August 20, 2024
Listen I love this. I love it so much. I love the art, I love the colors, I love that we are using sign language so casually, it is all so great. I love this book and want to use it for a story time. I am concerned it might be too scary but I think it would pair well with another book I have in mind.
January 15, 2025
I loved this creative approach to integrating ASL smoothly into a story! I appreciated that the story highlights an aspect of Deaf gain, too, with the kids being able to communicate from different buildings. Just because there are so many misconceptions and misrepresentations of ASL, I do wish this had come with some backmatter.
January 27, 2025
Getting rid of monsters is a scary business, especially when they're hiding under the bed!
This book is so cute! I love the children's book references at the beginning. I wish I could talk to my best friend through the window at night using sign! It would have made things so much easier when I was a kid without a phone.
This book is so cute! I love the children's book references at the beginning. I wish I could talk to my best friend through the window at night using sign! It would have made things so much easier when I was a kid without a phone.
March 16, 2025
3 stars (I liked it)
This was cute. I really liked the references to classic children's book at the beginning. I like the friendship and the ASL representation. It was cute to see how Milo conquered his fear of the monster under the bed with the help of his friend (who is in her house next door).
This was cute. I really liked the references to classic children's book at the beginning. I like the friendship and the ASL representation. It was cute to see how Milo conquered his fear of the monster under the bed with the help of his friend (who is in her house next door).
May 8, 2024
This is a really engaging and interactive book, makes for such a fun read-aloud. My little is obsessed with it, she keeps making monster hands and roaring. It's a fun and simple way to incorporate some ASL too. Highly recommend.
October 17, 2024
This book is fantastic! I recommend it for all little ones who imagine the worst is under their beds or in their closets. Even the little ones without those fears will be enthralled by the story, the art work and the chance to learn a little American Sign Language.
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December 28, 2024This is an adorable picture book that follows two friends who use sign language to communicate from their houses across the street from each other. I love the way the artist represented signs throughout the book!
February 24, 2025
In this genius picture book a young boy is afraid that there might be a monster under his bed. Using sign language, he & his next door neighbor send messages back & forth from their bedtime windows. Mel gives him some practical advice in scaring away any monsters. I love it!
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