Michelle Nelson-Schmidt

Young me would not have liked this. It's not that I didn't have dreams and wouldn't appreciate the message... it's that I would have found the metaphor ridiculous. Let Cordelia have plausible dreams. There are lots of things children know that they can do, that adults say they can't, that could serve in place of flying. So, though I can see the value in the book to some (probably adult) readers, I am letting young me rate and not recommend this LFL find.

Jonathan has a pesky "what if" monster who's good at helping him worry about everything, all day long. Jonathan gets fed up with his monster and wonders what if the monster is wrong? This poem is a touching and clever way to discuss worrying and trying new things. The readers get to see how Jonathan makes a what if case for optimism. The illustrations are simple for young readers. Recommended for Prek-2.

This is a well illustrated book that shows a monster who is trying to identify his feelings. It is a durable book, good for children who are first starting to read and identify their own emotions. The monster changes color with each emotion that is meant to depict the way he is feeling. His facial expressions also change with each emotion. The author also describes what the monster can do when he feels each emotion.

Finding yourself in a new situation, especially as a child, can definitely activate your 'worry monster' ... in this case, Jonathan James finds his Whatif Monster asking things like: What if it's too hard? What if they don't like me? What if I'm too scared? But what if your Whatif Monster can be flipped on his head! What if you can do it? What if they do like you? What if it's not scary? Reader will love to explore what is possible when you look at new circumstances from a different point of show more view! show less