“I could roar so loud that I scared everybody, and they left me alone. Then I did whatever I wanted.”
Mayer, M. (2011). What a bad dream. Boston, MA: National Braille Press.
Genre: Fiction/Bedtime Story
In Mercer Mayer’s picturebook, the plot is centered around a dream that a child has where he turns into a monster. Due to his transition, his parents leave him alone, and he is suddenly free to do whatever he wants. He goes through the cycle of rebelling against set rules in his life, such as bathing or having a set bedtime. He does all of this and enjoys himself extensively until he gets tired and decides to go to bed. The only problem is that his parents aren’t there to tuck him in anymore. He realizes he is alone and immediately regrets his experience as a monster. After this revelation, the child wakes in the arms of his loving parents, who soothe him and take him bed, just like he wanted.
The moral of the story is one that is easily relatable to children, in my opinion. For the most part, children dislike it when their parents force them to eat healthily, bathe or go to sleep early. Mayer’s story represents this desire for freedom in children by pairing it with the inevitable loss they would feel if they actually became a monster who scared everyone. The message of this book is for children to learn to appreciate the love they have from their parents, even if it costs them ice cream dinners and pet gorillas.
The Grand Adventure 