“Little Sue loves laughing, drawing, playing, and singing, but most of all she loves her mommy and daddy. One day, a Monster comes to live with Little Sue, and suddenly she doesn’t want to do anything but hide. It’s going to take some help and the most special magic of all if Little Sue is going to get rid of her Monster, or it may be with her to stay!”
When I look back at “Little Sue and the Monster,” I am struck by what a beautiful little miracle it is. I wrote my first book for kids after being inspired by two guests who had appeared at a convention that some friends and I put on. They were involved in the movie industry and had grown up as monster kids, and I had the idea to write a story about a young monster kid. This was “Danny Frankenstein.” After writing that, I found I had other ideas in a similar vein, stories that dealt with kids facing big issues and overcoming them. “Little Sue” falls into those books and is a standout due to the wonderful art inside.
I partnered with artist Julie Hurst, who illustrated the book, and with her art, the story of a young girl dealing with a monster – a frustrated and angry parent – and the reality of her parents’ divorce becomes not a horror story, but a tale of love. In this story, the monster can be overcome, with patience, love, and understanding, though it may always lurk in the shadows. Meant for kids between little and big, it’s a great story of overcoming a real monster in a real world.
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 