What's under the Bed?

Fred doesn't want to go to sleep, he's worried about what is hiding underneath his bed. Is it big? Is it small? Is it skinny? is it tall? Hardly any text is needed to tell this adorable story because the accompanying illustrations are so lively and bold. And never fear, what is under the bed is as harmless as Ted, Fred's stuffed bear.

Publishers Weekly

Fenton channels the dark humor of Edgar and Ellen and other creepsters in his first picture book. Putting himself to bed, Fred cannot stop worrying about creatures that might be lurking beneath it. Employing a very simple AB rhyme scheme, the book is a litany of Fred's fears. "Is it tall? Or rather small?" Fred, his haplessness signaled by the oversize glasses he wears even to sleep, finally summons the courage to peer under the bed and, predictably, finds his teddy bear, Ted. The ending suggests that Fred will spend the night awake anyway. "What's that noise? What's that sound?/ Is there something on the ground?" Although the text feels obvious, the cartoon art-shaded b&w drawings, with one additional spot of color per spread-is highly effective as it mimics the odd, shadowy perspectives and strange angles a child sees when peering around a dark room. White googly-eyes pop from the pages, and the hairy hungry creatures Fred imagines are at once scary and, for the stouthearted, humorous. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)

Joe Fenton has worked for several years in the film industry for Disney and other studios as a concept artist. He is from London, England, but currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. This is his first picture book.