Here Be Monsters! facts for kids
Here Be Monsters! by Alan Snow
|
|
| Author | Alan Snow |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Alan Snow |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Ratbridge Chronicles |
| Genre | Novel, Fantasy |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press in Great Britain |
|
Publication date
|
2005 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 544 |
| ISBN | 978-0-689-87047-7 |
| OCLC | 61731239 |
| LC Class | PZ7.S6805 Her 2006 |
Here Be Monsters! is an exciting fantasy novel. It was written and illustrated by Alan Snow. The book's full title is An adventure involving magic, trolls, and other creatures. It is the first book in a series called The Ratbridge Chronicles.
This book was first published in Great Britain in 2005. It came out in the United States in 2006. Alan Snow drew more than 500 black-and-white pictures for the book. Even though it's for young readers, it has lots of fantasy and adventure. It's like the stories by Roald Dahl and J. K. Rowling.
The book was also released as three shorter novels. These were called Pants Ahoy!, The Man in the Iron Socks, and Cheese Galore!. They were known as Here Be Monsters Part 1, 2, and 3.
Contents
Setting the Scene: Ratbridge
Here Be Monsters! takes place in a made-up English town called Ratbridge. This town is built on the River Rat. It is also set in the secret tunnels and spaces found below the town. The town of Ratbridge is based on a real place called Trowbridge in Wiltshire.
The story seems to happen around the year 1803. But Ratbridge is very industrial. Many factories have used up all their natural resources. The town uses big electric generators and bicycles. These inventions came much later in history.
Even more surprising, Ratbridge has secret advanced technology. This includes light bulbs, radio, television, and even virtual reality.
The Story: A Big Adventure
Arthur's Secret Life
The main character is a boy named Arthur. He lives with his adoptive grandfather, William. They live in a hidden network of tunnels under Ratbridge. William is hiding because he was wrongly accused of trying to murder someone.
Arthur comes out at night to find food. He uses special mechanical wings that he cranks by hand. He also carries a doll that looks like his grandfather. This doll works like a walkie-talkie, letting him talk to William.
A Cheese Hunt and New Friends
One night, Arthur sees an illegal cheese hunt. He follows the hunters and their captured cheeses to the Cheese Hall. There, Archibald Snatcher, the leader of the Cheese Guild, steals Arthur's wings. Arthur almost gets caught!
Luckily, a boxtroll named Fish rescues Arthur. Fish takes Arthur to Willbury Nibble. Willbury owns an old pet shop called 'Here Be Monsters'. Willbury shares his home with several boxtrolls (Shoe, Egg, and Fish) and a cabbagehead (Titus). These creatures usually live underground. They are all called Underlings.
Arthur's new friends want to help him get back to his grandfather. But they soon find out that all the tunnel entrances are sealed.
Missing Underlings and a Mystery
At Willbury's shop, a strange person tries to buy some full-sized creatures. This person also sells Willbury tiny versions of creatures. Later, Willbury and Arthur see that tiny Underlings are being sold as a new fashion trend in Ratbridge!
They visit Willbury's friend, Marjorie. She is an inventor waiting for her new invention to be returned. When they go back to Willbury's shop, it's a mess. The Underlings are gone!
The Ratbridge Nautical Laundry
While they are looking at the mess, Kipper and Tom visit. They work for the Ratbridge Nautical Laundry. Their laundry is on a ship stuck in a canal. The crew includes men, rats, and crows. The rats are smart and friendly, not like the usual stereotype. It seems the crew used to be pirates before starting the laundry.
Some of their crew members are also missing. So, they join the search for the Underlings.
Arthur's Capture and a New Ally
Arthur gets his wings back after seeing the Guild members on another hunt. He helps many Underlings, including his friends, escape from a dungeon. They go back to the Nautical Laundry. But corrupt police officers arrest Arthur there. They hand him over to the Guild.
In his cell, Arthur meets Herbert, the Man in the Iron Socks. Herbert tells Arthur that the Guild is making tiny creatures. He helps Arthur get the keys to their cells from the sleeping guard.
The Guild's Evil Plan
Meanwhile, Willbury, Marjorie, and some Laundry members dress up as boxtrolls. They go into the Underground. They find Arthur's grandfather, but they get caught in the Guild's traps. They are taken to a laboratory.
Marjorie sees a giant version of her stolen invention. It's a device that can change size! A huge rat comes out of a pit. The Laundry crew recognizes it as one of their missing friends. Snatcher reveals the Guild has been making "the Great One" bigger. They are feeding it captured cheeses to get revenge on Ratbridge.
The Guild thinks Marjorie is a boxtroll. They use the device to make her only seven inches tall. Arthur is then brought into the lab. But Herbert frees everyone. He knocks a hole in the wall so they can escape. Arthur gets his wings and Marjorie's invention back. The group returns to the ship.
Stopping the Great One
The Guild puts armour on the Great One. The heroes go back to the Cheese Hall to stop him. They turn on a huge electromagnet. This pulls the iron armour towards the hall. The Great One then explodes! Cheese covers the whole town.
The explosion causes the tunnels under the hall to collapse. Using Marjorie's size-changing device, the tiny creatures return to their normal size. William proves he is innocent. He, Arthur, and Herbert move into the old pet shop above ground.
Underlings: Creatures of the Underground
In the Here Be Monsters! world, there are several kinds of amazing creatures. They usually keep to themselves, but humans know about them. Here are some of them:
Boxtrolls
Boxtrolls are a type of troll. They live inside cardboard boxes. They love anything mechanical and will often steal loose items. Their job is to keep the tunnels in good shape.
Cabbageheads
Cabbageheads are small, human-like creatures. They have cabbages tied to their heads. They are led by a queen. Their society is similar to how bees live. Not much else is known about them.
Freshwater Sea Cows
Freshwater Sea Cows are like a mix of manatees (sea cows) and dairy cows. They live in underwater tunnels and open water. They eat plants.
Film Adaptation: The Boxtrolls
The book Here Be Monsters! was made into an animated movie. The company Laika announced the film in 2008. It was directed by Anthony Stacchi.
On February 7, 2013, Laika said the movie would be their next 3D stop-motion film. It was called The Boxtrolls. The movie was directed by Stacchi and Graham Annable. It came out on September 26, 2014.
Focus Features handled the movie's release around the world. Universal Pictures International released it overseas. The voice cast included famous actors like Ben Kingsley (as Archibald Snatcher), Toni Collette, Elle Fanning (as Winnie), Isaac Hempstead-Wright (as Eggs), Jared Harris, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, and Tracy Morgan.
