I received a fun little package the other day in the mail. The package itself was innocuous, a simple white bubble envelope. I tore open the package, not really knowing what to expect inside it. When I pulled the book out, I almost dropped it in terror before I realized that the monster on the cover was actually more cute than scary with its numerous eyes and colorful topknot. I had been getting ready to start dinner, but decided that dinner prep could be delayed a few minutes while I sat down and paged through the latest addition to my book collection, Me Make Monster!, a collection of 18 fantastic creature projects compiled by monster maker extraordinaire Jenny Harada. As I looked closer at the book, I was charmed by the monstrous creations contained within. If you have any children or are a child at heart that loves monsters, this book is a must have for your collection.

Inside the book, rather than a Table of Contents, you will find a Catalogue of Monsters. The different monster projects are sewn, knitted, or made from miscellaneous objects (or a combination of those techniques). The first chapter, "Monster Pelt Projects," begins with a cute introduction to the dangers of monsters and includes advice on how to not agitate them (for example, do not play Barry Manilow music) and then jumps right into the construction of a Basic Beastie with five eyes and eight legs. The assembly process of the sewn monsters are clearly illustrated with numerous color photographs showing how to put the various elements together, step-by-step. By their nature, monsters tend to be oddly shaped, so putting them together can be confusing so I was glad to see the steps detailed one by one. All of the sewing patterns are included and simply need to be enlarged before using.

The second chapter contains needle-art projects, either knitted, crochet, needlepointed, or embroidered. The monstrous projects in chapter three are crafted from recycled items such as aluminum cans, cereal boxes, corks, and bottlecaps. Chapter four is a mishmash of monsters that don't fit into the other categories and most of the projects in this chapter combine techniques such as sewing with polymer clay crafting. All of the assembly steps are illustrated in color so they are easy to understand.

I found the book to be charming with its colorful illustrations and monster themed storyline and I especially loved the soft, plushy monster toys. I was plagued by nightmares as a child and I remember my elaborate night-time rituals of placing my stuffed animals around me on the bed as protectors. I think that if I had had a few of these guys on my bed, they would have done a better job of scaring away the monsters in my closet than the ponies and teddy bears that I had.

Looking to make more critters or monsters? Check out these books!