By GLENN TOLLE

I’ve always loved monsters since I was a kid, and my dad has too. I credit him as one of the biggest reasons I became the horror fanatic I am today. Not only did he have a plethora of books on things that go bump in the night, he frequently brought me to his work (he was a grave digger) and showed me what he did on a daily basis. He also introduced me to the Universal monster movies and gave me some of the monster and Twilight Zone magazines he had grown up reading. Much like Maddie’s father In MADDIE’S MONSTER DAD (by Scott Gibala-Broxholm), my dad always fed my imagination with his enthusiasm.

MADDIE’S MONSTER DAD is a wonderfully illustrated tale of a tiny monster-loving girl and the monster dad she builds. She’s very much the way I was and the way I imagine many readers were at her age — full of that early monster magic. I had the pleasure of meeting the author at the Rochester Children’s Book Festival some years back, and was struck with how passionate he was about movie monsters and bringing them to life on the page. He signed my copy of his incredible book (below).

I highly recommend you add MADDIE’S MONSTER DAD to your children’s bookshelf. It’s a touching story that’s sure to resonate with readers of this column. I also recommend you track down Gibala-Broxholm’s SCARY FRIGHT, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? And, if he happens to haunt a children’s book festival near you, definitely go out and meet him. He’s an exceptionally kind, talented and intelligent man who loves sharing his passion for monsters with young people.