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Melinda Kinsman lives on a small peninsular called The Wirral, in North West England. She loves climbing mountains and rock-climbing (both abroad, and in her local mountains of Snowdonia), and she has always had a soft-spot for cuddly toys!
As Melinda has to lie down a lot each day, due to health issues, she spends most of that time using her iPad to write and illustrate her books. (Drawing can be especially challenging, as she needs to keep the iPad steady by balancing it with one leg up in the air - much to the amusement of her family!)
Melinda originally wrote a book of poems for her 6 year old niece a few years ago, but never dreamt of trying to publish them, or of trying to illustrate them herself. The advent of ebooks and handheld tablets now makes self-publishing an exciting possibility for her!
The Top of the Wardrobe Gang books are credited to both Melinda and a motley crew of cuddly toy characters. This bunch of cuddly toys live on the Top of the Wardrobe - they like to call this the "penthouse suite"! They enjoy reading, and want to try writing their own books.
Most of the cartoon gang characters are based on "real" members of Melinda's cuddly toy family. You can find out more about Melinda, the gang, and their books from their website at http://topofthewardrobegang.weebly.com
Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite
Monster Mayhem is a picture pop-up book for children written by Melinda Kinsman. Billy has monsters living under his bed. They are constantly up to mischief, but do not speak at all. These monsters have greedy appetites, and they know just where to go for the yummy foods they like to gobble. Some of Billy’s toys - known as the Top of the Wardrobe Gang - are not pleased to have these monsters, (about eight in all) disrupt their normal, peaceful routine. All they do is create messes and, regrettably, Billy’s toys have to clean up after them. Sometimes the monsters leave, which makes everyone happy until new ones appear with their luggage. Would you believe that the dumbest one even has a pet log and is fond of crossword puzzles?
Monster Mayhem is a picture storybook that is sure to delight young children, ages 3-7. Melinda Kinsman has written a short bedtime story that is lively with fun, upbeat rhymes. Old Sock, who happens to be the youngest member of the Top of the Wardrobe Gang, narrates the tale. Apart from the story, the author included a game called P.D. Monkey’s Nibbled Cookie Challenge. Its objective is to have kids spot the hidden cookie on each page. There are also cool puzzles, free activity packs, and readers can learn more about the characters from the information at the back of the pop-up book. Monster Mayhem has brightly sketched illustrations that will catch the attention of young readers. It is a lovely children’s book.
