posted on 16 Apr 2023

A Monster Stole My Lunchbox by Tom Dexter, illustrated by Amelia Hatt

It’s always nice to be able to welcome a new book illustrator to the scene and Amelia Hatt at just 17 must be one of the youngest. Her delightful, full colour drawings for Tom Dexter’s playfully tongue-in-cheek verses make this publication from Candy Jar a real bit of fun.

Dexter’s verses are just ideal for reading out loud – at home or in the classroom – and will draw some laughs from younger readers who will love our young girl hero in search of the monster who stole her lunchbox.

One day while walking to school, our narrator has her lunch box stolen from her back by a yellow and purple striped monster – who she obviously has to follow if she wants her box back. But the trail leads her to a spooky destination:

“It was opposite my school

Where the daylight was quite bright,

But shadows hung around this place

And made it look like night.”

Even though the sign on the gate reads ‘School for Monsters’ our hero isn’t daunted – she really wants her lunch!

Inside are monsters, witches and zombies of all kinds but to her surprise and delight they seemed to be having a really nice time – not so different from her own school:

“I stopped and then I pondered

Just why am I afraid?

They seem to be just like me,

As they shouted and they played.”

In fact there’s so much fun to be had here that the girl transfers - so that she’s able to stay in the school of monsters and join in the fun.

Oh, and if you’re still concerned about the missing lunch box – she got it back from the thief who turned out to be one of the teachers!

The book comes with some added extras that teachers may well find useful in class. At the end there is a ‘school exam’ that pupils can sit with five monstrous questions to answer. I especially like this one:

“If you were a monster, what would your name be?”

I’m going for Truly Terrible Terry – or T3 to my friends.

There’s also a QR code that can be scanned to take you to an audio album – so quite a package of stuff in a paperback for a modest price.

You should be able to order a copy from your local independent bookshop or maybe go to the Candy Jar website and order directly from them.

 

Terry Potter

April 2023