The Night the Monster Came

Andy is a nine-year old boy whose parents leave him alone at night. He lives in the Northwest United States and has heard of the legends of Bigfoot. One night, he sees large tracks in the snow and thinks Bigfoot left them. On another night he sees a large furry creatures chased by dogs. No one believes him, thinking that he is just a boy whose imagination runs wild when he is alone. However, on a later night he sees a large furry animal outside the window. It is a bear that has an injured leg. While he is safe in the house, he knows that his mother will be coming home soon and the bear may attack her. Therefore, he decides to capture the bear in the garage. He opens the garage door and uses a trail of bacon to entice the bear into the garage. Once he gets it in there, he closes the door, trapping it inside. He then alerts his parents and a vet comes with a tranquilizer gun. The bear is subdued and taken some distance away before it is freed. This is an odd story in the sense that a fundamental element is that such a young boy is left alone late at night. Furthermore, the nearest house is some distance away, so he is truly alone. Nevertheless, it is a story of courage under pressure, Andy show courage when it is needed, possibly saving his mother and the bear from greater harm.

I found this childrens book a sheer delight. Highly recommended for the young reader for its captivating suspense and unexpected conclusion. The pen and ink illustrations are some of the best, and Leslie Morrill is highly collectible in my view.Try it.