Go Away, Big Green Monster!
Die-cut pages allow a child to build a monster's face feature by feature. They then take control by ordering each feature away until the page is black again, making it a great tool for managing fears.
Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley is estimated to take about 3 minutes to read aloud (91 words, about 1 sentence a page), and it lands best with children aged 2-5.
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- Estimated read-aloud time
- about 3 minutesEstimated read-aloud time
- Word count
- 91Counted words
- Sentences per page
- 1Sentence per page
- Re-read tolerance
- 5/5still good at forty
- Vocabulary level
- 2/5everyday words
- Best for
- Ages 2-5Our editorial fit
Our review
The interactive nature of the die-cut pages makes this a very tactile experience. It works well as a tool for children navigating the "monster-under-the-bed" phase, giving them a sense of agency over what they see.
Because it uses repetition and a call-and-response style, it is easy for toddlers to follow. It turns a potentially scary concept into something they can actively manage through the story.
Before you buy it
Some two-year-olds may struggle with the assembled face on the middle spread. If this happens, try reading from the back so the monster disappears first.
Themes
- Halloween
- monsters
- fear
- colours
- die-cut
Books like Go Away, Big Green Monster!
Matched by refrain, density, length, and listener—not just the subject.
Skeleton Hiccupsabout 3.5 minutes estimated · 5/5 re-read
The Color Monster: A Story About Emotionsabout 5 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
Where the Wild Things Areabout 5 minutes estimated · 5/5 re-read
Press Hereabout 4.5 minutes estimated · 5/5 re-read
Where's My Mummy?about 6 minutes estimated · 4/5 re-read
Questions parents ask
How long does it take to read Go Away, Big Green Monster! aloud?
About 3 minutes at an unhurried pace, including a standard allowance for page turns, pictures and participation, from a word count of 91. Stopping for a longer conversation on every page will add more time.
What age is Go Away, Big Green Monster! actually for?
Ages 2-5 in our testing, which is narrower than the publisher's range. With 1 sentence a page and vocabulary at 2 out of 5, it asks for that much attention span and no more.
Does Go Away, Big Green Monster! survive being read on repeat?
Yes - this is one of the few that is still fine on the fortieth reading, which is why it scores 5 out of 5 with us.
Is Go Away, Big Green Monster! a good book for a child who will not sit still?
It helps that it has a refrain a child can join in with, and it asks the child questions to answer out loud. Those three features are what keep a wriggling toddler listening, far more than the subject matter does.
Will my child memorise Go Away, Big Green Monster!?
Probably, and fast. The book leans on a repeated refrain, and at 5 out of 5 for re-read tolerance it survives the nightly repeats that get a book memorised. Expect your child to chant the pattern back before they can actually read.
Can a beginning reader read Go Away, Big Green Monster! on their own?
It is closer than most picture books. With 1 sentence a page and plain vocabulary (2 out of 5), a confident early reader can attempt it, though it is written to be read aloud first.
What themes does Go Away, Big Green Monster! cover?
We tag it with Halloween, monsters, fear, colours and die-cut. Those are the threads that actually run through the book, not just the ones on the cover, which is how it earns its place on our themed lists rather than a keyword match.
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