The Stepmonster

by Joanna Nadin

Published 2 July 2015
A funny, poignant story from Roald Dahl Funny Prize nominee Joanna Nadin.





Tom knows all about stepmothers from the books he’s read. They do all sorts of horrible things. In fact, they aren’t really stepmothers at all. They are StepMONSTERS! So when his dad’s new friend Lulu comes to tea, Tom is convinced she will turn out to be a stepmonster.


She might not look like a stepmonster. (Her hair looks like it’s been spun from gold.) And she might not act like a stepmonster. (She likes all of the same things that Tom does – manatees and moles and woodlice and playing Snap for hours.) But maybe that’s just a clever disguise…


The perfect read for children aged 5+, exploring anxieties about relationships and changing family dynamics with warmth and wit.


If you enjoyed this, then you'll also love Ordinary George.


All Bananas are book banded, making them perfect for use in schools and for parents keen to support their children’s reading


Book Band: Purple


Joanna Nadin is the author of more than 30 books for children and young people, including the best-selling Rachel Riley series for teens and the award-winning Penny Dreadful series for younger readers. The Stepmonster is her first Banana title. Joanna has been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and Queen of Teen, and Spies, Dad, Big Lauren and Me (9+) was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. She lives in Bath.


Eglantine Ceulemans graduated from the Emile Cohl School of Arts (Lyon-France) in 2012. She has worked across a wide range of picture book, animation and illustration projects in both France and the UK. She lives in France.