Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters concludes

The Month of Monsters has come to its end. Thanks so much for following along. If you like what you've seen, I encourage you to order your very own complete copy of Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. The Kindle and Comixology versions collect everything you've just read in a complete digital reading experience, while the print-on-demand edition includes the full book PLUS a few bonus pages showing the origins of Lesky Lee as I originally drew her, way back in the olden days of 2012 for the Brooklyn Museum's Sketchbook Project.

Special thanks to my illustrator (who could also be yours -- he's freelance!), Zach Wideman, who helped me create such a vibrant and professional looking book for the second time. (If you haven't seen the first, by the way, it's pretty darn good, too.)

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 35 + 36

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

((Thanks so much for following along! I've got one more post coming to wrap up the Month of Monsters tomorrow, leaving you a few extra days to get ready for Halloween!))

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 33 + 34

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 32

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 30 + 31

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 29

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 27 + 28

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

You can be (near)by Matt Bergin at P.S. 81 Fall Fun Day book sale & signing

I will be selling and signing physical copies of Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters this Sunday (10/25) at the Robert J. Christen School (aka P.S. 81) in Riverdale. Buying the print-on-demand book online costs $12.99 + shipping...but my special in-person price will be $10 per copy!! Supplies are limited and I am hoping to be sold out of physical books at the end of the day, so please stop by to help me achieve that goal. (And if you already have a copy of MoM, bring it over for a signature and a thank you.)

The real Lesky Lee will be on hand to help amuse the masses, and we'll have MoM activity sheets for everyone who buys a book and some other treats to keep folks coming.

More event details below...

We hope to see you there!

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 25 + 26

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 24

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Picture Books Review on Matt Bergin & Lesky Lee

Word is spreading about me and my books!

PictureBooksReview.com has posted not only a review of "Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters" but also an interview with yours truly about MoM, Blank Slater, Zach Wideman, and how I make the doughnuts.

#MonsterofMonsters review here.

Matt Bergin interview here. 

Check them out, share the links, keep the word spreading.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 23

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 22

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 21

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 19 + 20

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 18

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 16 +17

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 15

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 14

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 12 + 13

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- pages 10 + 11

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 9

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 8

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 7

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Monster of Monsters -- page 6

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 5

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Duck Season! Squirrel Season!

All this talk about Monsters...but we've got some real-world creatures scuttling around these parts, as well! Check out this first sketch by D.L. Skandle for our upcoming collaboration:

Some friends of Fluffless, by D.L. Skandle. More to come in "Fluffless, A Squirrel's Tail"

D.L. may be providing only illustrations for Fluffless, A Squirrel's Tail, but she is a one-woman show when it comes to her Little Duckie series. The first Little Duckie book, "Little Duckie's Day," is available now, animated shorts are up on her site, and a second book in the series is coming soon. 

Watch D.L.'s site for more on Little Duckie, and watch this space for more on Fluffless as it develops.

In-Class Reading of Monster of Monsters

I had the pleasure of reading Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters to the 3rd-grade class at Bronx P.S. 81. Full disclosure, the visit was arranged as part of a birthday celebration for one of the students -- the real Lesky Lee, my daughter Alexa. But all of the kids (and dare I say the teacher, too) enjoyed hearing the story from the source, learning about what goes into writing even the shortest of stories, the process of hiring and collaborating with an artist, and more. I handed out MoM activity worksheets for the kids to do while enjoying some end-of-day birthday treats. It was good time, and I certainly wouldn't mind doing it again. Next book, maybe?

Thanks for having me!

If you are interested in setting up a reading or school visit, send me an email (d18matt(at)gmail.com). 

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 4

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 3

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 2

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Lesky Lee Free! A Month of Monsters -- page 1

A Month of Monsters continues! Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I'm sharing another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to purchase the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

A Month of Monsters!? Lesky Lee FOR FREE!

This is no trick! To celebrate this spooky season, I'm giving you a treat. Every day in October leading up to Halloween, I will share another page from my newest picture book, Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters. If you like what you see, or think someone else would like such a treat, click the link to get your own copy of the book for Kindle or print-on-demand.

Take Back Bedtime

http://www.amazon.com/Lesky-Monster-Monsters-Matt-Bergin/dp/1512355313/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443626529&sr=8-1&keywords=lesky+lee

Blank Slater Emotions Chart and Activity Worksheets

Blank Slater, The Boy With The Dry-Erase Face includes activity pages in the print-on-demand version, and when the book was first launched via Kickstarter, we included dry-erase poster mats that allowed readers to explore their own emotions long after they finished the story. Now you can download the entire set of activity pages, including the emotion chart, here or here. If you can get your hands on a laminating machine, you can even turn all of the pages dry-erase for your own continued environmentally friendly use!

Included in the Blank Slater activity bundle are:

• 6 "blank face" pages on which to draw in the appropriate expressions on Blank Slater
• Magic Marker Maze -- help Blank reach Nada
• Matched Emotions -- match Blanks face with the correct word describing his emotion
• Blank Emotions Chart (pictured below) -- fill in the face that goes with the emotion

The lovely and talented Zach Wideman illustrated all of the activity pages, including the blank emotions chart shown above.

Lesky Lee Classroom Activity -- Visual Storytelling: Make Your Own Picture Book Page

Print or download a PDF of this activity!

Classroom reading coming up seemed like the perfect opportunity to craft this activity worksheet to complement Lesky Lee, Monster of Monsters and teach the kids a little something about visual storytelling.

Lessons Unlearned -- a back-to-school short by Matt Bergin

Here's an unpublished freebie for the back-to-school crowd. Wouldn't it be neat if some of my parent and teacher friends and readers had their kids take a crack at illustrating this one? If you do, please show your work at d18matt @ gmail dot com!

Lessons Unlearned

by Matt Bergin

"So, what did you learn in school today?"

I learned NOTHING in school,
and that isn’t all…
I Unlearned every lesson I’ve learned since the Fall!

I unlearned the letters A, B, C, and D,
so now my alphabet starts with E!

I unlearned the 3 numbers that come after 7,
so now I have no way to get to 11!

I unlearned that fish live under the sea.
I unlearned that monkeys swing through the trees.
I unlearned that owls fly high in the sky, sleep all through the day, and stay up all night.

I went over that lesson on owls two times,
to better unlearn that owls are wise.

Another thing I unlearned: how to tie my shoes,
all that stuff about criss-crossing laces and hoops.

I unlearned how to clean up after myself,
how to put all my stuff back on the shelf.

I unlearned that I have to eat all of my dinner.
I unlearned that not eating will make me get thinner.
I unlearned where I live.

I unlearned dad and mom.

I unlearned all my favorite stories and songs.

I unlearned that it's bedtime,
that today's at an end.

I unlearned that I miss my teachers and friends.

I unlearned that I’ll see them at school in the morning…
…right after I finish this lesson in snoring.

(Goodnight.)

Speaking of lessons--learned, in this case--it is highly desirable for an effective picture book script to function well as a bedtime story, because a tucked-in audience is a captive audience, and bedtime is the best time for moms and dads to get in some guaranteed reading. Or so I've been told. --Matt B

Bright Smile With Bite -- a sharp short by Matt Bergin

What do you think this Carlton Cass character looks like? I have my ideas, but I'd like to see yours. Show me the light at d18matt @ gmail dot com.

Bright Smile With Bite

by Matt Bergin

Carlton Cass was full of sass, 

but his teeth were dark and mucky.
He wished he had a bright white smile,
but he hadn't been so lucky.
So he asked the dentist to swap his chops
for two dozen bulbs of light,
and now his smile is 50 watts
of happy joyful bright.
There's just one gripe you're sure to hear
from smiling Carlton Cass--
no matter what he tries to eat,
all he tastes is glass.

Ghost Train -- a trip to the wrong side of the tracks by Matt Bergin

Ghost Train

by Matt Bergin

Chugga chugga booooooo!
Ghost train coming through.
Spooky Station's coming next,
Then Cryptville, Hauntington, and Mount Hex.
The Engine runs on skin and bones.
The steampipe spits out ghastly moans.
Your one way ticket's at the gate.
There are no stops -- we're always late.

Wishful Twinkling -- a shooting short by Matt Bergin

Wishful Twinkling

by Matt Bergin

When you wish upon the moon,
The wish you wish may come true soon,
But not so fast like wished on stars.
Star dreams can come true quick as cars.
But if dreams are slow in coming true,
They probably need a nudge or two,
Or maybe dreaming's not the way
To get that thing you want today.
Maybe instead of wishing bright,
You'll earn it with hard work and fight.
So twinkle twinkle, little kid,
It's not what you want, 
It's what you did!

Welcome to...Something! (Because Something Is Better Than Nothing)

Starting now, this is where you can find my books currently for sale and read about future projects that I'm working on. Watch this space as I fill it up and flesh it out.