My Monster Burrufu

My daughter is 9 years old and she absolutely loved this book! It has a wonderful balance of pictures mixed in with the chapters, making it fun and easy to read! As a mom I love the message behind the story, "don't judge someone on the outside". I would recommend this book to any family with young readers!

My Monster Burrufu is a storybook about a young girl who finds more than just dust in the attic of her new home. By the way, did you know that monsters are good luck? Well, now you know.

This is an enchanting story about an outgoing, unique and friendly little girl who tries with all of her might to befriend a very reclusive monster, who just wants to be left alone in his lonely attic to write his stories and eat stolen chocolate chip cookies. The book is peppered with beautifully drawn black and white illustrations, and the dialogue is enhanced by increases and decreases in font size to indicate yelling and whispering tones. It's a sweet story that is fun to read, especially out loud in different voices!

This story has a very important central moral: don't judge someone by how they look; it's what's inside that counts. It's a kind of "don't judge a monster by his fur" type of moral, which is applicable to children and adults alike.

My Monster Burrufu was created by Alberto Corral, a character animator at Dreamworks Animation. He, like Burrufu, also loves dessert. Alberto told me, "I love movies and stories in any form. That passion took me to write a children's book."

My 10 month old daughter Lily is too young to yet appreciate the moral of the story (it is geared toward the 8-12 age range), but she loved hearing the story and looking at the pictures. As she gets older, I think we'll read the story while baking batches of chocolate chip cookies... This is truly a tale that children and parents can all enjoy.

I have to admit, I get some warm fuzzies just by looking at the cover of this book. It seemed like a great book to read with my eight-year-old daughter, and I was not disappointed in that regard. She really seemed to eat this book up, laughing at some sections, feeling sad and distressed in others, and ultimately loving the ending. I also enjoyed reading it, particularly because it never felt dumbed-down to me, which is a major, major flaw in some children's books. Some spoilers ahead.

My favorite part of this book is the character of Burrufu. He is just awesome. I expected him to be a warm and cuddly monster, so I was pretty thrilled to find that he was rather curmudgeonly and really only wanted to be left alone to work on his manuscripts. A monster who has a passion for writing books! Seriously, what's not to love about that? He was a fresh character, one who had to be reluctantly coaxed into a relationship with the charming, precocious, and adorable Olivia. I loved that they weren't instantly best friends. I loved that Burrufu sometimes just wanted her to go away but, in the end, was ultimately unable to resist her charms.

And Olivia is charming. She's blithely oblivious in that way that only kids can be, and she's a wonderful vehicle for showcasing the innocence of childhood, where it doesn't really matter how you look, as long as you like to play. Olivia was a joy of a character, and I was highly entertained by her selective attention to detail--namely, she only paid attention to the things she wanted to hear.

This is ultimately a really nice story about friendship and how it can transcend barriers. This is always a lovely message for children, particularly when it's done in such a fun and engaging way. This book proves that you don't have to be preachy in order to teach kids a little something. My daughter and I had some nice talks about the friendship between Olivia and Burrufu, and about how unfairly Burrufu is treated simply because of the way he looks. I loved that Olivia sought a better way. That's certainly a message that I want my daughter to take to heart.

It would be remiss of me not to talk about the drawings because they are wonderful. Burrufu is extremely strange looking, while Olivia is absolutely adorable. My daughter and I were also in love with the drawings of Tula, who is probably the most adorable cartoon dog I've ever seen. Yet, it's not just the fact that the drawings are cute, it's that there is some really amazing detail to some of them. I particularly love the illustration of Olivia's room, because there's just so much to take in there. From Olivia's hilariously adorable pajamas to Burrufu's expression to the room's decor, it's the kind of picture I'd love to blow up and hang on my daughter's wall because it's just so whimsical and sweet. I'm also extremely enamored of the picture on the last page, as it really tugs at my motherly heartstrings.

I have no doubt this is one of those books I'll catch my daughter paging through quite often. I don't think I'll ever look at it without picturing her scrunching up her face, hugging the book to her chest, and declaring, "Burrufu is so cute!" The time I spent reading this book with her was time very well spent.

The story by Alberto Corral is about a little girl named Olivia who moves to a new house and discovers a monster named Burrufu living in a secret attic. It's a charming story about their friendship, one with some surprises as the monster has some secrets of its own.

The illustrations from Alessandra Sorrentino are so beautiful I want to squeeze them.

The book's an enjoyable read. Recommended.

I'm a teacher & chose this book to work on with my class at the start of the year & they have loved it! It's great for exploring lots of issues, such as fears, confidence & self esteem, relationships & it even slotted in nicely with our 'rural & urban contrast' mini topic with Olivia moving from the city to the country! We did so many activities through the book & the children showed immense empathy for the characters, especially Burrufu. They found the ending 'equally sad & heartwarming' as one particular child summed it up!
Overall, it's a lovely story with beautiful illustrations that's very accessible to many age groups.
Thanks!

Fun, sweet book. We used it as a read-aloud with my 4 & 9 year olds together and they both loved it.

This was the sweetest little book. I had read this book on my grandsons kindle. I loved it so much that I bought this one for my granddaughter in Tennessee for her Birthday. She will be five in August. I know that she will love it as well.

Finding chapter books that not only appeal to my five year old son, but that also hold his attention, are few and far between. So it was with great relief that my family discovered "My Monster Burrufu." My wife and I truly enjoyed taking turns reading it to our son (although we would then flip back and read each other's chapters since we didn't want to miss out on any of the plot ourselves!). Even our two year old would tune in every now and then and be drawn to the beautiful illustrations.
Alberto Corral's story is sweet, sincere, clever and, most of all, fun! Do yourself a favor and pick up this book -- your entire family will thank you for it!

My Monster Burrufu is a classic in the making. Like all great children's literature it talks to the inner child in all of us who are adults, and talks to its children readers with respect and wonderment. It is a page turner and before you know it, the book is over! The story is simply told (and I mean this as a huge compliment, all great stories share a simplicity in their storytelling), the characters are unforgettable (where was Burrufu when I was a child? I would have love to have met him then!) and somehow they feel like they have always existed, like other children favorites such the Chesire Cat or the Wild Things. I highly recommend it. Oh, and when is the sequel coming? Another child needs to meet Burrufu!

My girls (6 & 9) absolutely LOVED this story. It holds mystery, adventure, problem solving & enduring friendships. Olivia is a fearless 7 year old, who moves into a new neighborhood and finds a new friend, Burrufu, in her own attic. The friendship is not instantaneous but grows with time and trust. Burrufu is an introverted, fearful monster who also happens to be a writer. His love of cookies & the smell of a fresh baked batch, sends him out exploring in the night... this is where the adventure begins. The only chapter book my girls have ever asked me to read again and again. A great read for all ages.