Resource Filters Description More information about this book
More information about this book

Book Description

Resource Type

  • Pre-Reading Activities
  • During Reading Activities
  • Post-Reading Activities

Skills and Subjects

  • Key Ideas & Details
  • Oral Language
  • Vocabulary Acquisition
  • Make Predictions
  • Visual Elements
  • Critical Thinking in Literacy
  • Comprehension Strategies
  • Integrated Learning
  • Text Forms & Genres
  • Social & Emotional Learning
  • Developing & Creating Texts
  • Just for Fun!
  • Further Research
Show All
Reset Filters

Monster Mender

A monster mender works hard to heal all wounds, but struggles to help a sea serpent who just seems … sad.

    Book Genre:

  • Picture Books

    Audience:

  • ages 3 to 6 / grades P to 1

Written by

  • Christine Baldacchino

Illustrated by

  • Ilona Iske

  • Book Description

    Dot is a monster mender who skillfully treats physical injuries such as bruises, burns, scrapes, and sore throats for all kinds of creatures. When Sea Serpent comes to her feeling “very sad,” Dot is confused because there is no visible injury to fix. She tries every remedy she knows, but nothing makes the sadness go away. Over time, Dot learns that what truly helps is listening, allowing quiet, respecting boundaries, offering companionship, and asking how Sea Serpent feels. The story teaches that emotional pain is real and that support, presence, and empathy are powerful forms of care.
  • Pre-Reading Activities/ Key Ideas & Details, Oral Language
    What Is A Helper?
    Gather students in a circle. Ask: “What does a helper do?” Record responses. Guide discussion to include helpers who fix things and helpers who listen. Explain that this story includes both types of helping.
  • Pre-Reading Activities/ Oral Language, Vocabulary Acquisition
    Feelings Vocabulary Exploration
    Introduce emotion words (happy, sad, lonely, calm, worried). Discuss facial expressions and body clues. Reinforce that all feelings are allowed
  • Pre-Reading Activities/ Make Predictions, Visual Elements
    Cover Walk and Predictions
    Display the cover. Ask students to describe what they see and predict what the monster might need help with.
  • Pre-Reading Activities/ Oral Language
    Calm Bodies Practice
    Practice sitting quietly for one minute. Discuss how calm bodies help us support others.
  • During Reading Activities/ Key Ideas & Details
    Meet the Monsters
    Pause as each monster is introduced. Identify the problem and how Dot helps.
  • During Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
    What Makes Sea Serpent Different?
    Discuss how Sea Serpent’s problem is different from physical injuries.
  • During Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies
    Tracking Feelings
    Pause to ask how Sea Serpent feels. Use picture clues to support answers.
  • During Reading Activities/ Critical Thinking in Literacy
    Do the Remedies Work?
    Discuss each remedy Dot tries and whether it changes how Sea Serpent feels.
  • During Reading Activities/ Key Ideas & Details, Oral Language
    Noticing Support
    Identify moments when Dot listens, sits quietly or respects boundaries.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Key Ideas & Details, Oral Language
    Big Idea Discussion
    Discuss what Dot learned about helping. Create a class sentence summarizing the lesson.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Integrated Learning, Text Forms & Genres
    Ways to Help Chart
    Students draw or dictate ways to help someone who feels sad.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Social & Emotional Learning
    Role-Play Support
    Students role-play listening and offering support without fixing.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Developing & Creating Texts, Social & Emotional Learning
    Feelings Reflection
    Students draw a feeling they’ve experienced and what helped them.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Comprehension Strategies, Critical Thinking in Literacy
    Problem and Solution Map
    Identify Sea Serpent’s problem and list supportive actions that helped.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Just for Fun!
    Monster Care Kit Creation
    Provide each student with a paper bag or envelope labeled “Monster Care Kit.” Explain that this kit is for helping a monster who feels sad. Students draw or write items that could go inside the kit, such as a listening ear, quiet time, deep breathing, kind words or sitting together. After completing their kits, students share one item and explain how it helps feelings.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Just for Fun!
    Emotional Charades
    Write feeling words from the story (sad, calm, lonely, comforted) on cards. One student selects a card and silently acts out the feeling. The class guesses the feeling and discusses one way to support someone feeling that way.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Just for Fun!
    Design a Calm Space
    As a class or in small groups, students draw a calm space they could use when feelings are big. Encourage them to include items such as soft seating, books, or quiet activities. Students explain how their calm space helps emotions.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Just for Fun!
    Monster Feelings Match
    Students draw several monsters and label each with a feeling. They then draw a line to match each monster with a helpful response, such as listening, hugging or quiet time. Discuss choices as a class.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Just for Fun!
    Thank-You Note to Dot
    Students draw or dictate a thank-you note to Dot explaining how she helped Sea Serpent. Encourage students to reference listening, sitting quietly, or asking about feelings.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Further Research
    Understanding Feelings and Mental Health

    Read one additional picture book focused on emotions or mental health. As a class, discuss how the main character feels and what causes those feelings. Students then draw or dictate one strategy the character used to cope with their feelings and explain why it helped.

  • Post-Reading Activities/ Further Research
    Talking to a Helper
    Invite a school counselor, social worker, nurse, or other trusted adult to speak with the class about how they help children manage big feelings. Before the visit, students generate questions together. Afterward, students draw or write one new thing they learned about asking for help.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Further Research
    Animals and Emotional Support
    Research how animals can support emotional well-being by viewing photos, short videos or simple texts about therapy and service animals. Students create a drawing and oral explanation describing how an animal can help someone feel calm or supported, connecting their ideas to Sea Serpent’s experience.
  • Post-Reading Activities/ Further Research
    Calm and Quiet Strategies
    Explore calming strategies such as deep breathing, quiet time or listening to soft sounds. Practice one strategy as a class and discuss how it affects students’ bodies and feelings. Students record their experience through drawing or dictation.