My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast - A Review
My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast by Zoje Stage is a wonderful, magical romp under the bed of a very imaginative young girl named Prudencia. I found the book to be a delightfully whimsical tale, told with wit and inventiveness.
We meet protagonist Prudencia, or Pru as she likes to be called, amid a request, not request, from her mother to clean her room. What follows In My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast, is Pru’s discovery that all the miscellaneous bits and bobs, toys, dust motes, and strings has made an unruly and magical forest beneath her bed inhabited by one Mr. Lollypop Hand and a whole community of creatures that are living amalgams of the various pieces of detritus.
I loved the depiction of Pro and her mother’s relationship in My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast — it reminded me of many interactions my wife and I have had with our daughter. And yes, my daughter’s room unfortunately resembles Pru’s — and the underneath of her bed is just as daunting.
This dynamic will ring true for any parent that has tried to get their child to clean their room, and has scratched their head at the messes they can create and dream up.
The art in the book is fantastic, delightfully weird, and creepy in a way that seemed almost cuddly. It helped draw me into the imaginative world of Prudencia, reminding me of Tim Burton’s aesthetic, and invoking a fairy tale nostalgia.
Other highlights include the glossary at the end of the book (I love the sneaky vocabulary building!), the slightly scary good intentioned experiment by Pru that almost backfires in the middle of the book, and the themes of problem solving, caring, and imagination.
Parents — especially those with imaginative and messy children — will find this book an excellent book to read aloud, with plenty to discuss afterward. Older children will enjoy reading the book solo and poring over the inventive pictures. Adults will enjoy the book as a delightful look back to an easier time when you can make whole worlds and stories from bits of string, buttons, and gum.
My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast is a delightfully quirky and entertaining read for kids of all ages.