Monster Manners - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

25 minutes ago

2 min read

Combining an alphabet cast of monsters with polite social manners makes for a humorous, inventive book perfect for Halloween or all year long for little sci-fi/monster fans.

Book cover - a child in a monster costume stands in front of a giant Slime Blob, with a witch riding a broom, Frankenstein, Dracula and a bat, a ghost, a mummy and two tentacles surround them.

Monster Manners A to Z

Author: Heidi Yates

Illustrator: Yana Kozak

Publisher: Beaming Books (August 18, 2026)

Ages: 4 - 6

Fiction

Themes:

Alphabet book, manners, Halloween, and humor.

Synopsis:

Boogie on, fiends! This not-so-spooky tale of well-behaved magical creatures will make a humorous addition to your Halloween read-aloud books.

Invited to your first Monster Bash and shaky on what to expect? Have no fear! From A to Z (Aliens to Zombies), monsters have had millennia to master good manners. Ogres don't spread germs, vampires never bite, and werewolves follow rules! As readers journey through a monstrous party, they'll witness 26 creatures demonstrating etiquette and attitudes for everyone to practice--monsters and kids alike.

Opening Lines:

Invited to your first Monster Bash

but shaky on what to expect?

Have no fear!

Monsters have had millennia to learn

from their mistakes, and most have

mastered good manners.

What I loved about this book:

In a fun opening to an alphabet book, a young kid dresses in a cute onesie monster costume before heading to his first "Monster Bash."

Internal spread - a child, in bedroom, putting on a monster onsie costume.

Text © Heidi Yates, 2026. Image © Yana Kozak, 2026.

The colorful and humorous illustrations masterfully play off puns and wordplay as the alphabetically featured monsters or creatures arrive for the party with a description of the etiquette rule they have learned. Such as the "Aliens avoid landing in anyone’s comfort zone" careful not to "invade personal space," "Kraken keeps his tentacles to himself" and doesn't "rock the boat," and "Undead are considerate of others and don’t have a single bone to pick."

Internal spread - on the left, an alien ship sits in the yard with an alien perched on top and one in front. On the left, a Boogeyman blows his nose as a child in a monster costume knocks on a door, with a "party" banner strung across the front.

The Boogeyman uses tissues

(never a shirtsleeve).

Thankfully, that’s all snorted out!

The cartoonish characters, accompanied by colorful balloons, banners, twisty straws, pink foam, party treats, and an errant hand (perhaps a nod to "Thing" from the Aadams Family for adults), keep the tone lighthearted and playful rather than preachy.

Internal spread - on the left, a kid points at the invisible man's hat hanging next to a trench coat on a a rack, as Frankenstein's hand and an Alien stand next to him. On the right, the kid and Frankenstein's hand greet Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde reflecting in a mirror.

Heidi Yates also succeeds with the hardest two alphabet letters Q - "Quadruple-headed hydra" and X - " A Xenesthis [spider]". Although an alphabet book has a predictable framework (A to Z), like the beginning, the ending offers a riotously funny moment with many of the featured creatures. This is an enjoyable romp with an adorable cast of creatures which will be fun to ready for Halloween, birthday (or other) parties, and whenever a bit of playful fun is needed.

Resources:

did you find everyone hiding from Yeti? Where is your favorite place to hide?

which monster manner is the easiest for you? Which one is the hardest?
make your own drawing of a creature or manners rule. Are there different ones you would include?

pair this with D is for Drool: My Monster Alphabet by Amanda Noll and Shari Dash Greenspan, illustrated by Howard McWilliam and How Do Dinosaurs Show Good Manners? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague