Children’s books nowadays handle all sorts of topics. Many have themes of friendship and finding inner courage, while others seek to inspire readers to reach for new heights. Every story brings something to the table, and Corey Wolff’s new book, “Mikey McMonsterson Goes to School,” has both a lot of heart and an important message to share.
Wolff has always had a fondness for writing and stories. As a child, they were an escape as he struggled through a difficult upbringing, and nowadays he uses his stories to bring a more positive light to the world. In addition to his work as an author—he has written three books—Wolff works as a teacher in Livingston, New Jersey, at Maor High School, which serves students with complex learning disabilities and/or social challenges such as high-functioning ASD and ADHD.
“McMonsterson” is dedicated to his young son Caleb, who inspired the tale. “When Caleb was about 4 he was scared, like many children are, of monsters living under his bed,” Wolff shared with The Jewish Link. “He would come to me all worked up, and I would reassure him and try to calm him down by telling him a story about a monster who was friendly. The monster was named Mikey, and I used him to help Caleb overcome this fear.”
Inspired by these moments, Wolff decided to write “Mikey McMonsterson” as a way to help other kids overcome the same fear. Mikey as a character is written as a gentle monster who does not like scaring children. He does not quite fit in the land of Monsterville, and decides to run away.
“It’s a simple story that any child can relate to,” Wolff continued. “When Mikey runs away, he eventually sees a house at night with the lights on, and climbs through an open bedroom window to escape the rain and cold. He hides under a boy’s bed, and they soon develop a close friendship.”
“Mikey McMonsterson Goes to School” actually took quite a few years to complete. In addition to the writing, Wolff hired award-winning Serbian artist Biljana Milijkovic to do the illustrations. “[Milijkovic] was just a pleasure to work with,” Wolff said. “She understood my story, and her artwork, which is vibrant and full of life, perfectly captures what I was hoping for. I actually discovered her through the website Fiverr, and as I was explaining what I needed, she would show me samples. I knew right away she was going to be my illustrator.”
Mikey faces a lot of struggle at the start of the book. His parents criticize him for liking flowers and bubble baths, and not behaving like the other monsters in Monsterville. As Wolff was writing the story, he realized there was a deeper connection between him and Mikey than he had first realized going in.
“Something about Mikey just struck a chord with me,” Wolff said. “As I was writing the story, I was taken by how much his story related to some of the things I experienced growing up. There was a lot of abuse in my household, and I still struggle with the effects of it now that I’m an adult. I want my books to be hopeful, something that can make a child’s day a bit brighter. It’s the kind of book I would have wanted to read when I was growing up.”
The story has themes of perseverance, courage and not being afraid of the unknown. As Wolff explained, these are important ideas he was hoping to teach his son when he first came up with the character of Mikey, and is now proud to share with readers.
“When I was writing the book, I wanted to teach children that not all monsters have to be scary. Just because people are different doesn’t mean they’re evil. In fact, they have their own interesting perspectives that we can learn something from, and I think that’s the great message this book conveys.”
“Mikey McMonsterson Goes to School” was released earlier this year and is Wolff’s second book. His other two titles are “The Journey of an Acorn” and “The Fantastical and Mysterious Tale of Sweet Pea of Monsterville,” both of which handle similar themes.
“I think acceptance and the idea of not being afraid of the unknown are things we can all take something from,” Wolff went on to say. “Even as adults, we fear things that are different or new. When we allow our fear of the unknown to control us, it prevents us from growing and reaching our full potential. I want to show with my stories that confronting the unknown is an opportunity to develop into someone greater.”
“Mikey McMonsterson Goes to School” is available for purchase on Amazon, in Barnes and Noble, and in bookstores across the country. If you would like to learn more about Wolff or book him to speak at an event, you can do so by visiting his website, coreywolff.com. You can also follow him on Instagram @transcendencepress, and Facebook at Transcendence Press.
Adam Samuel is a journalist from Teaneck. He blogs at www.adamssoapbox.com.
