creativiteach

It may be the day before Halloween in the U.S., but it is never too late for a good parody. I’ve written before about how parodies can give students motivating and effective practice in analogical thinking, and this week I discovered a new one.

Ludwig Bemelmans’ classic children’s book Madeline tells the story of twelve little girls, in a story that begins:

In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines

lived twelve little girls in two straight lines

They left the house at half past nine

The smallest one was Madeline.

Author Ludworst Bemonster (yes, it’s a pen name) has turned Madeline’s tale on its ear to create the “Monstrous Parody” Frankenstein. Image a tale that begins

In a creepy old castle all covered with spines

lived twelve ugly monsters in two crooked lines….

And the ugliest one was Frankenstein.

Frankenstein made me laugh out loud in the middle of the bookstore. It made me wonder what other classic picture books could be transformed into monster versions. Goodnight Moon? How about Goodnight Goon? The Black Cat in the Hat? Horton Hears a Boo? Have some fun and practice your flexible thinking. In the meantime, enjoy this preview.