Marisol McDonald and the Monster / Marisol McDonald y el monstruo
By Monica Brown
Illustrated by Sara Palacios
Hardcover: $19.95
Ebook
Marisol McDonald loves words that begin with the letter m—except the word monster. Monsters are scary, with big eyes, wild fur, pointy claws, and sharp teeth. One night, when Marisol hears loud bumps under her bed, she is immediately convinced that a monster is making the noise. Checking under the bed does not reveal a monster, but night after night, the bumps continue. When the bumps become especially loud one night, Marisol bravely leads the charge downstairs to find the cause. Turns out the monster making noise under Marisol’s bed does have eyes and fur and teeth, but it isn’t scary at all. It’s her dog, Kitty, playing ball against the kitchen wall.
Monica Brown and Sara Palacios once again bring Marisol McDonald to life. With her orange-red hair, golden-brown skin, and endearing individuality, Peruvian-Scottish-American Marisol learns to face her fears in this empowering story of harnessing the imagination and conquering nighttime monsters.
Check out Marisol McDonald and the Monster / Marisol McDonald y el monstruo Activities for Spanish Learners from the Spanish Playground.
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About the Creators

MONICA BROWN has written twenty acclaimed picture books, including the Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor-winning Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match, as well as the Lola Levine and Sarai chapter book series. Most of her stories are inspired by her desire to bring diverse stories to children and by her own mixed heritage, which includes Peruvian, Scottish, Spanish, Amerindian, and Jewish ancestry. When not writing for children, Brown serves as a professor of English at Northern Arizona University, where she teaches about US Latino and multicultural literature. Brown lives with her family in Flagstaff, Arizona. Her website is monicabrown.net.
Photo: Jake Hoyungowa

was born in Mexico City. She holds degrees in Graphic Design, Illustration, and Digital Graphic Techniques, and is pursuing her MFA in Illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She divides her time between Mexico City and San Francisco, California. Her website is sarapalaciosillustrations.com.