The Wanting Monster by Martine Murray, illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett. This beautifully illustrated picture book feels deeply of our times while holding firmly to the old traditions of fable and fairy tale.
The story follows a tiny monster who wanders into a quiet village and manages to stir up extraordinary trouble. The village, with its stream, forest and fields, becomes the stage for a gentle battle between human greed and the natural world, both tested and transformed by the Wanting Monster’s mischief.
Within the tale sits a clear reminder of how easily our attention can be pulled in the wrong direction, and how our connection to the land and to each other can bring us back to ourselves. As in many good fairy stories, it is a child who sees the truth first, revealing the source of the village’s confusion and facing the Wanting Monster with curiosity rather than fear.
The monster himself is a lively, endearing creature, full of noise and longing, capturing the very human desire to be noticed and loved.
Hardback, 48 pages, 28 x 19 cm.
Published by Parachute Press, November 2021.
