But First I Caught a Monster

Tjibbe Veldkamp & Kees de Boer

Publication date: March 2020

A short bedtime story… Short?

Every parent knows the drill: tuck in, well, okay, one story then, but short… and so it starts.

This is a short story
Why short?
You need to go to sleep. The story is about you. You went to sleep. End of story.
Yes, but first I caught a monster.
A monster?
Just watch.

A boy keeps outsmarting the parent who wants to finish the story. But in the end, the parent doesn’t want to stop narrating either.

This picture book is not just for reading It is also a wonderful read-together book: the interaction between the hurried adult and the child, who pushes him to continue storytelling, will bring much joy.

Kees de Boer brings a boy’s fantasy to life in a fun and unique way: monsters, soldiers, more monsters…

Tjibbe Veldkamp wrote a story that continues forever. An ode to the imagination and the magical power of stories: the ideal book for every child that can never get enough of bedtime stories!

But First I Caught a Monster

Reviews

‘Hopman conveys all the energy of imaginative children creating havoc left and right. They build forts under tables, hang from the orphanage balconies and ride a cart down the stairwell.’
– Publishers Weekly, starred review

‘… a sturdily constructed, beautifully crafted work of children’s literature … Hopman’s colour-washed, squiggly line drawings convey a gravity-defying zest and sense of adventure completely in tune with the narrative. The pandemonium of creative play is captured in the many small drawn details (such as 22 different expressions on falling orphan’s faces), which a child is free to explore during successive readings of the story.’
– Foreword