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'How To Talk Monster' brings Halloween fun to reading

Maine author Lynn Plourde teaches kids that differences should be appreciated through new children's book, 'How To Talk Monster.'

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine children's book author, Lynn Plourde, has a new book out - just in time for some Halloween fun. The book is called How to Talk Monster, and it takes some of the scary out of making new friends. 

Illustrated by Mike Lowery, How to Talk Monster follows the adventure a little boy ends up having with a little monster. "A little boy reads a book about a monster at bedtime and he’s so scared he can’t go to sleep. So his parents say, 'It’s okay, don’t worry.' And they put a sign out: No Monsters Allowed on their front lawn," Plourde explained. 

When a monster appears, it turns out, he can't read the sign. "Little boy doesn’t understand little monster's language, and little monster doesn’t understand little boy's language, but finally through some mishaps they realize they’re both kids. So they get along much better and start to learn each other‘s language."

Plourde says she hopes as families read through the story, they can understand that people have more in common than they do in differences, "Can they take the leap then if there’s someone in their community who speaks a different language or looks different than they do that, oh wait a minute, if little monster and little boy can get along, maybe we can get along."

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A glossary at the end of the book helps translate monster language into English, which Plourde also hopes inspire a want to learn a new language, or that kids will want to make up their own monster words. 

Plourde and Lowery will join Eric Geron and Kelly Leigh Miller for a virtual Halloween Picture Book gathering through Books of Wonder, October 17 at 1 PM. To learn more, click here

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