Written by Angelika Glitz Recent works: A Monster Under Alex's Bed, The Egg That Fell From a Strange Star... (2 titles total) Featured title: A Monster Under Alex's Bed Illustrated by Imke Sönnichsen Featured title: A Monster Under Alex's Bed Translated by Kim Ra-hap Recent works: Gulliver's Travels... (105 titles total) About the translator: A professional translator born in Gunsan in 1963, she graduated from Sogang University with a degree in German Language and Literature. Her translated works include The Autobiography of Scott Nearing, A Friend in a Wheelchair, Mavita, Benposta: Children's Republic, and Where Will We Sleep on the Prairie Tomorrow, among others. A Book That Brings the Joy of Reading Children are afraid of monsters because they believe monsters are real. Billy, the boy in this story, is no different. He's absolutely convinced there's a monster under his bed, and he trembles with fear. His mom, however, sees things differently. Since she doesn't believe monsters exist at all, she isn't scared in the slightest — she simply dismisses it as her child's wild imagination. For the first half of the story, we see this same pattern play out again and again: the frightened child and the calm, unbothered mom. But once a mouse appears, everything flips. Suddenly it's Mom who panics, while Billy, puzzled by her reaction, stays perfectly relaxed. To Mom, the mouse is horrifying and gross, but to Billy, it's something he could go over and pet. This delightful reversal — where the roles of parent and child completely switch places right at the story's climax — is what makes reading this book such a treat. When Billy hears a rustling sound under his bed, he's convinced there's a monster and begs his mom to check. The story keeps readers curious and tense throughout, but when Billy discovers it's just a little mouse, he's quite disappointed — and decides he'll catch the mouse himself, to protect his mom. With its playful contrast between a child afraid of monsters and a mom afraid of mice, this book uses blues and greens as its main colors to beautifully capture both the nighttime mood and the monster theme.