"Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters" by Jane Yolen and Kelly Murphy (Walker Books)

Monster books aren't always my first choice for bedtime reading but as you probably all know by now, Charlotte is a voracious consumer of all things monstrous so this was an instant hit when we borrowed it from Abingdon Library.

The main reason was the sheer variety of monstrous little characters that crop up in Jane Yolen and Kelly Murphy's lovely little book. Fat ones, thin ones, some as big as yer 'ead. If you loved Monsters Inc and marvelled at just how many weird and wonderful creations Pixar came up with, Kelly Murphy topped the lot with her beautiful and detailed illustrations for this book.

It's a lullaby, and it's hard not to read it in a gently sing-song voice (which sort of goes against the grain for a monster book I guess). It might just be the perfect tonic to send your own little monsters off to sleep, so it's definitely recommended.

Charlotte's best bit: Even little monsters need monster teddies or something to cuddle at night

Daddy's favourite bit: The huge variety in monsters in this, particularly in the playground scene. Really inspirational stuff.