Synopsis

Nine-year-old Pru has many hobbies: inventing things, collecting stuff, and learning new and interesting words.

But her newest passion is discovering the source of the weird sounds she hears at night-coming from beneath her bed. Ever since she was very little, Pru suspected there might be a special kind of creature making a home in her room. But because UnderSlumberBumbleBeasts only come out in the dark, she had never seen one.

That all changes one day after Pru’s mom asks her to clean her room-an ordinary request that sets off an extraordinary chain of events. And Pru’s life will never be the same.

First depicted in the international sensation Baby Teeth, a novel for adults, My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast is a quirky and charming story about a girl with a most unusual way of making new friends. Watch what grows underneath the bed…

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Praise

“Nine-year-old Prudencia—Pru for short—loves big words and her charming vocabulary is on full display in Zoje Stage’s My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast. Accompanied by gorgeous illustrations from J.E. Larson, this is the story of a girl and the not-so-scary monster who lives under her bed. Pru’s ingenuity and compassion shine when her little friend becomes a big problem and she has to set things right. A lovely, whimsical tale for younger middle grade readers, My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast is also a perfect bedtime read-aloud for smaller children who want a “big kid” story. I was delighted by My UnderSlumber-BumbleBeast and kids and their grownups will be, too.” – Lora Senf, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of the Blight Harbor books

“This book is my Scholastic Book Fair fantasy made real! A dark, whimsical delight for all ages. I’ll shelve it next to Gaiman’s Coraline.” — Sadie Hartmann, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered

Interview with Zoje

Why did you decide to turn My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast—first featured in Baby Teeth—into a real book?

My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast actually predates Baby Teeth! I’d wanted to give the child character of that novel, Hanna, a favorite book—something her dad would read with her. After considering copyright issues, it became obvious that I needed to use something of my own, and I had a short story that seemed perfect. And then after Baby Teeth was published, I had a lot of readers asking me if My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast was an actual book. I’ve been trying to get it published since 2017!

What was the inspiration for the initial short story?

I was experimenting with short fiction at the time and wanted to try writing something for kids. I remembered being afraid of the dark as a child—afraid of what was behind the closet door. And to this day I’m very alert to every unexpected sound I hear in the house. I thought it would be fun to reimagine the “monsters” lurking in the dark and make them something unexpected as the source of the odd sounds—misunderstood perhaps, but friendly!

Is My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast intended for adults who’ve read Baby Teeth and/or Dear Hanna, or kids?

I’d say it’s intended for all ages. I think adult readers of Baby Teeth and Dear Hanna will get a kick out of seeing this book in real life. But I also feel like it fills an important gap for young readers who are beyond picture books but still enjoy a book with illustrations. I talked to several librarians about this a few years ago, and they were really wishing there were more illustrated books for seven- to ten-year-olds. Chapter books are great, but who doesn’t enjoy some cool pictures?

Some of the illustrations are like a visual treasure hunt of classic toys—how did that come about?

Artist J.E. Larson was so dedicated to the creative details in this book. Early on, we had Zoom meetings with publisher Doug Murano, and in every meeting the three of us ended up reminiscing about the toys we remembered from when we were kids. We collectively wanted there to be toys from many different decades represented in the book, so readers of all ages could spot things they’d once played with.

Were all of the illustrations hand-drawn?

Yes! They were sketched first, then inked, then painted. 100% hand created. (Bad Hand Books is committed to never using AI.)

About the Author

Zoje Stage’s debut novel, Baby Teeth, was a USA Today and international bestseller and was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. Her second “mind-bending” (New York Times) novel, Wonderland, was one of Book Riot’s Best Horror Books of 2020. Getaway, a “stunning…third triumph” (Booklist, starred review), was named by LitReactor as one of the Best Books of 2021. Her most recent novel, “utterly arrowing…masterful” (Criminal Element), is Mothered. She lives in Pittsburgh with her cats.

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About the Illustrator

J.E. Larson is an illustrator and visual artist who resides in Minnesota. His work, which tends toward the dark and whimsical, has appeared in a number of books designed for younger readers.

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