BRENTWOOD, Calif., Jan. 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bellowing beasts under the bed, creepy creatures in the closet, sinister shadows slinking around the room – these scenarios are familiar to anyone who experienced teraphobia, or fear of monsters, in childhood. While most parents and caretakers vaguely remember this period of their adolescence, they may struggle with how to help their children through the bedtime frights.
Several decades ago, author Suzanne M. Shields encountered this problem with her own sons. Finding that the nighttime monster fear was prevalent among children, she penned a playful poem that she could read to them to help ease their anxieties and allow them to talk through their fears. Now published as a picture book, “Nighttime Fantasy” is narrated through the perspective of a young boy.
After the boy is tucked into bed by his mother, he is frightened by the multitudes of monsters who begin to emerge from the dark. Unable to shake the jitters their presence brings, he escapes to his mother’s bedroom and finds comfort and safety in her arms. However, he also begins to wonder why the monsters do not follow him there.
Through her book, Shields shows children that they are not alone in their fears and provides an opportunity for adults to share their own experiences with being scared and foster a deeper discussion with their children around why monsters don’t visit adults’ rooms. Through “Nighttime Fantasy,” children will feel more empowered to discuss their anxieties with their adults and feel reassured that they are heard, safe and protected.
“’Nighttime Fantasy’ illustrates a universal fear of monsters associated with darkness that should be easy for kids to recognize,” said Shields. “The book may help both parent and child constructively discuss this fear and allow the parent to promote reassurance that the fantasy is only a fantasy, and not reality.”
“Nighttime Fantasy”
By Suzanne M. Shields
ISBN: 9781728372846 (softcover); 9781728372853(hardcover); 9781728372839 (electronic)
Available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AuthorHouse
About the author
Suzanne M. Shields is a mother of two boys and a grandmother of twins. She is a retired registered nurse with some experience in pediatrics. Her book, “Nighttime Fantasy,” is based on a poem she wrote in 1980, inspired by her finding that the nighttime monster fantasy was universal. After reading it to her own sons as well as neighborhood children who requested to hear it often, it became her dream to develop the poem into a book that others could learn from.
AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industry’s only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrates over 23 years of service to authors. For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121.
Attachment