- Board Books
- Ages 1–4
- Comedy
Monsters Play... Counting!
Book 2 of 3 in The World of GustavoView the full series
A monster-filled first counting board book that mixes numbers, body parts, movement and bold design. It is a playful Gustavo-world spin-off for toddlers rather than a story-led picture book.
- Best for1–4
- FormatBoard
- Length24 pp
- Read aloud~4 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Rhyming
- Repetitive
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Warm
- Whimsical
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
The monsters are ready to count. One tongue, two ears, three eyes and more appear across bright, flamboyant pages, encouraging young children to notice numbers, body parts and movement. Monsters Play... Counting! takes Flavia Z. Drago's distinctive monster-world style and reshapes it for the youngest readers as an early-learning board book. There is no substantial narrative arc; instead, the pleasure comes from rhythm, rhyme, funny monster bodies and the satisfying movement from one to ten. It is useful for families who want concept books that still feel visually special, and it sits well as a younger sibling or baby-gift companion to the main World of Gustavo picture books. The monster imagery is cheerful and stylish, not scary, so it works as a gentle bridge into spooky themes.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 1–4
- Read aloud · 1–4
- Independent · 3–5
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Baby board book
- First counting book
- Gentle spooky
- Monster fans
- Gorgeous design
Avoid if
- Wants full story
- Wants emotional arc
- Wants older picture book
Particularly good for children who are…
- Starting nursery or preschool
- Interested in science
- Bedtime battles
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Bright, rhyming monster board books — made for reading aloud and joining in with the very youngest.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the monster body parts — one tongue, two ears, three eyes, the counting following bold flamboyant monster spreads. The Drago first-counting board book for a toddler who likes their numbers stylish.
- Magic powers
- Secret world
Why parents love it
The Drago monster-world counting board book — World of Gustavo style at toddler scale, rhyme and rhythm rather than narrative, friendly bridge into spooky themes. Reliable concept book for the design-conscious household.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Quick to read
- Educational for adult too
- Bedtime appropriate
In the series
The World of Gustavo.
3 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Flavia Z. Drago.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
When you buy through the links above, we may earn a small commission — it never costs you more, and it never changes the books we choose. How we’re funded →