5 Empowering Monster Books for Bedtime

If you're the parent of a young child and you haven't spent at least one bedtime trying to convince your little one that there are no monsters under their bed or in their closet or hiding in their dresser drawers or anywhere around the house, go ahead and utter a little prayer of thanks for your courageous kid. (Or buckle your seat belt, because that particular bedtime fear could be coming your way tomorrow night.)

Here are 5 great picture books to help kids tackle their monstrous fears, perfect to read at bedtime as a reminder that they've got nothing to be afraid of.

1. Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems // Right off the bat, you know anything by Mo Willems is going to be a hit with the kids. Poor Leonardo is terrible at being a monster--he can't frighten anyone! But when he finally succeeds, he finds that scaring people isn't much fun, and he makes a much better friend than monster. This sweet, funny book has darling pictures, plus it turns a potentially scary monster into a funny and approachable friend.

2. There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer // My favorite monster book. This little boy is terrified of the 'nightmare' hiding in his closet. But when he turns the tables and scares the nightmare, he discovers that it's more afraid of him . . . and he finds himself comforting the poor frightened monster. A great book for turning things around and putting the child in charge of his/her fears.

3. Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley // In this creative book, children can flip the die-cut pages to first build a scary monster, and then disassemble him, piece by piece, until nothing remains. They'll love being in charge of the monster and being able to take apart all his scary bits and pieces, like glowing eyes and sharp teeth.

4. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak // We can hardly talk about monster books without mentioning the wild things. This classic is full of scary-looking beasts who turn out to not be frightening at all, and make Max their king. What kid wouldn't love being the king of all the wild things?

5. There are Monsters Everywhere by Mercer Mayer // This sequel to Nightmare in My Closet proves that your nervous child has been right all along . . . there are indeed monsters everywhere just waiting to snatch them up. Luckily, they are easily intimidated, and the boy in the story will show you exactly what he does to frighten them away.