About this deal
Miloš was one of the children who used to live with Mr. Mikhail Petrov. Petrov, through them, continued his Milo loves spending time with his best friend, Jay. But when a new girl called Suzi moves in next door, Milo starts to feel left out. The jealous feeling gets stronger and stronger – until suddenly, a GREEN-EYED MONSTER pops up beside him! Soon, the monster is poisoning Milo’s thoughts. It won’t leave him alone! The title of this story uses alliteration. Can you think of (or make up) other book titles that also include alliteration? Even if I am an adult right now, I can still identify the feeling of jealousy as a monster always talking bad in my ears. Tom Percival’s Big Bright Feelings series is the perfect springboard for talking about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence and managing feelings. Every child’s bookshelf should contain his books.
Like many other parents and teachers, I was happy to see there was another Big Bright Feelings book from Tom Percival; he seems to capture children's emotions so clearly and to find stories that will engage young children and support them in navigating those feelings. Warm and uplifting, Milo's Monster is an inspiring story about dealing with feelings of jealousy. It's the ideal starting point for helping children to build strong friendships and say goodbye to jealous feelings. After the murder of Mr. Petrov and the old lady who helped him take care of the children, Wolfgang Grimmer was suspected by the police to have been the assailant. Milosz and other kids swore that Grimmer was with them the whole time the supposed murder happened, and that a 'beautiful blonde lady' was the one who committed the act. Milo loves spending time with his best friend, Jay. But when a new girl called Suzi moves in next door, Milo starts to feel left out. The jealous feeling gets stronger and stronger – until suddenly, a GREEN-EYED MONSTER pops up beside him! Soon, the monster is poisoning Milo's thoughts. It won't leave him alone!Miloš is a Slavic given name recorded from the early Middle Ages among the Bulgarians, Czechs, Poles and Serbs. It is derived from the Slavic root mil-, "merciful" or "dear", which is found in a great number of Slavic given names. The name meaning quite indicates Milosz's personality and appearance. Jealousy (or envy) is often described as a ‘green-eyed monster’. Can you find out more about the history of this phrase? One time he went out of the orphanage to play, and accidentally saw the Blonde Lady (Johan cross-dressing) again. Miloš followed her I am a passionate reader of psychology and spiritual books, and as a result, I appreciate writers who bring these issues to children as a sweet, kind lullaby.
How did Milo react in this story? What might have been a better way to deal with Jay’s new friendship? Look at the front cover of the book. Who or what is Milo’s Monster? What do you think might happen in the story?
By Author / Illustrator
Milo loves his house because he lives right next door to his best friend, Jay, and they do everything together. Then one day, the two boys notice that a new girl, Suzi, has moved into the neighborhood. How has Tom Percival used different shades of grey in the illustrations? Could you use similar techniques to draw attention to more colourful parts of a picture?