I LOVE YOU MORE THAN THE SMELL OF SWAMP GAS: Picture Book Activity

Best Users: Librarians, Booksellers, Home Learning
Special Programming Opportunity: Father’s Day, Halloween
Best Audience: Children Grades 00-04
 

EXPLORE & DOWNLOAD THE ACTIVITY

I Love You More Than the Smell of Swamp Gas by Kevan Attebery (HarperCollins) is a guffaw-producing monster read aloud for any day, but fabulous for story time near Father’s Day or Halloween.

I relish you more than
the DARK SERENADE
the BASILISKS belch,
to the eggs they laid.

I love you as much…
as a SPIDER PARADE.

With this activity download, scissors, crayons, and pipe cleaners, you can make your own spider parade with readers.

DOWNLOAD I Love You More Than Swamp Gas: Spider Parade (PDF)
 

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ABOUT THE BOOK

I Love You MoreThan the Smell of Swamp Gas
By Kevan Atteberry
Illustrated by Kevan Atteberry
Published by HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN-13: 9780062408716
Age Range: 4 – 8 Years

Little monster wonders: Does Papa love the swamp more than he loves his little monster?

Papa and little monster are on a skink chase in a dark, stinky swamp.

Do you love me as much as the skink that you chase…or the smell of the swamp…or the beasts in this place?

From the author-illustrator of Bunnies!!! and Puddles!!!, as well as the illustrator of Tickle Monster, Kevan Atteberry, comes a monstrously tender and silly tale guaranteed to elicit lots of giggles and monster hugs. Perfect for Halloween and Father’s Day, as well as for fans of Dan Santat and Peter Brown.

“A parent monster tells a child just how much little monster is loved. The little monster’s insecurity is provoked after the parent states “I LOVE nothing more / than a midnight romp / while I chase wild skink / through the dark, stinky swamp.” The deflated posture and dismayed expression of the child say it all. “Do you love me as much / as the SKINK that you chase / or the SMELL of the swamp / or the BEASTS in this place?” The parent’s reassurance occupies the rest of the book; its love for its child is greater than its affection for bloodsucking ducks, mummified bass, and toe-biting stones—even for two two-headed bears. The duo’s travels through the swamp end at their cozy home with the child tucked in bed, surrounded by (mostly!) stuffed versions of all the creatures from previous pages. The digital illustrations delight in ick and spook, the dark backgrounds contrasting nicely with the pops of color from the creatures the pair meet. The parent and child are green and pink respectively, with orange horns, green fluffy tails, and mops of green hair. While the jacket flap indicates that this is Papa and child, nothing in the text or illustrations indicates gender for either. Perfect for those parents who are sick of the treacly “how much do I love you” books and who want something with a little more ick.”
—Kirkus Reviews