The Secret Lives of Monsters and Legends


Children - Fable
Kindle Edition
Reviewed on 12/22/2015
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Once described as a "daydreamer who's fun but can be disruptive" by his teachers, Sunny is now a hotel Concierge in London.

He has always displayed a creative streak, becoming a professional photographer working for various hotels, as well as writing articles for ehotelier.com.

Now he is proud to be a children's author, and cannot wait to produce the next in this series, and has many more titles to come.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

The Secret Lives of Monsters and Legends is a children's book of short tales suitable for young readers ages six through eight. It is written by Sunny Basra and illustrated by Ben Muircroft. Bigfoot is the story of a young adventurer who is determined to solve the mystery of Bigfoot. While he's a bit nervous about what he might discover in the woods, he understands that it's good to face your fears. What he finds in the forest is a huge surprise. Dracula lives alone in his castle, and Sienna's mother said she should never go near the castle. Sienna sees a figure looking out the castle window one night and can't help but go to see who lives there. George is an exceedingly grumpy knight who protects the people in his town from dragons, but he also has a secret. And a young boy named Matt gets to see if Nessie, the Loch Ness monster, really exists.

Sunny Basra's collection of tales for children is both fun and enlightening. Mixed within the humorous, inventive and witty renditions of these legendary monster tales are lessons such as facing fears, accepting others who are different, and not being judgmental. Basra's tales are fun to read, and while geared towards slightly more advanced readers, are perfect for storytime sessions with younger readers as well. Muircroft's illustrations are brightly colored and filled with detail, and they are a huge part of what makes these stories work as well as they do. The Secret Lives of Monsters and Legends is highly recommended.

Emma L

Bought this to read to my 3yr old daughter after being recommended by a friend and we loved it, the different short stories kept her interested from start to finish (Plus some good life lessons to be learnt)... A must buy!

Graeme

Love this book, it has kept my Nephew entertained for days, he loves it. Brilliantly written and excellently and brightly illustrated. Would highly recommend getting this for a lovely stocking filler this Christmas.

H. Gill

Love this book....... It is beautifully written and illustrated. Bought this book for my 7 year old. It kept him busy and he enjoyed reading the short stories. His favorite character was Dracula. I would recommend this book. It is great addition to children's library.

Kaur

Brilliantly illustrated book easy to follow and a treat to read. This book is a form favourite and am sure it will be for lots more children.

Nicky

What an imaginative and fun book this is. I think it would best suit children who have an interest in myths and legends, and possibly those that are a little afraid of monsters. The book tells four stories that are well known, but with an interesting new twist. The author has cleverly humanised some of the more feared characters such as Bigfoot, and this makes the monsters seem less scary. It challenges the reader to think about what they know of legends and 'scary' tales, and suggests being more open-minded. The book carries wonderful messages to encourage children not to be afraid. (Amazon: http://goo.gl/FqWtNR)

Lynne

In this book, children can read all about some famous monster-legends, but in an interesting way. Basra has presented the tales in a child-friendly re-telling, including children as the main characters. The basic stories are there, but they are further developed so that the reader questions what they previously know about monsters and legends. Ultimately this book aims to dispel some myths that may frighten children, and do so in an entertaining way. There are important messages included, which are gentle teachings to becoming a better person that any parent would advocate for their child. A great book to read and discuss together. (Amazon: http://goo.gl/V2pcec)

TFLReader

This is a well written storybook for children. It uses simple language, and is clear and easy to follow. The stories included in the book are an introduction to well-known legends, but they are kept light-hearted and fun. The 'monsters' in the stories are given an alternative tale to the more traditional versions, and I think children will appreciate and enjoy this angle. The illustrations used are bold and colorful. These stories are classic tales that most children will recognize, and it is wonderful to see them brought together in this book for children to continue reading for many more years. (Amazon: http://goo.gl/V2pcec)