Monster Ink: Maplewood Author And Essex County Teacher Publishes Children's Book

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The publishing process can take years — and a writer who's burgeoning with great ideas may not want to wait that long.

Corey Wolff, a Maplewood father of two who teaches in a Livingston private school, recently published his second book, hiring his own illustrator and going the self-publishing route.

And the result is a joy.

Wolff's new book, Mikey McMonsterson Goes to School, was inspired by his 4-year-old son, Caleb.

"When he was about four years old, he was scared to go to sleep because he thought a monster was under his bed," Wolff said recently. "So I told him that it was a friendly monster named Mikey."

Wolff composed a story that teaches kids to look beyond the surface.

He noted, "The book took years to complete, but it was worth it, not only because we created something beautiful, but because it can help children not be afraid of monsters in their room at night."

To. illustrate the book, Wolff found award-winning artist Biljana Milijkovic, who lives in Serbia, through an app called Fiverr.

"English is not her first language, and we have never met in person, or even video chatted," Wolff said. "We collaborated entirely through the Fiverr platform. Because of the language barrier, there were definitely some challenges at times with communicating my vision for the book. However, I came to know how she worked best, and her style was perfect for my story because it is vibrant, warm, and full of life."

And the world gets to meet Mikey.

"Mikey is friendly to children, likes taking bubble baths, and enjoys smelling flowers," Corey said. "But this sweet little monster does not fit in the land of Monsterville. All of the other monsters make fun of him. Even his parents wish he would act like a proper monster. So Mikey decides to run away from home. When a boy discovers that Mikey has been living under his bed, they become friends."

Not His First Book

This is Wolff's second foray into children's publishing.

Wolff’s first book, The Journey of an Acorn, was named by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group as one of the best indie books of 2020. READ MORE: Maplewood Man Wins Indie Publishing Honors

It was also a finalist in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the world’s largest book awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors.

The story dealt with emotional abuse and survival.

Additionally, it was an honoree and grand prize finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Award, one of the largest international book awards for small academic, and independent presses.

'It Is Okay To Be Different'

In the new book, Wolff wrote, "The book is dedicated to my son Caleb, because he helped me come up with the idea."

He said, "Children will learn that monsters don't have to be scary, even the ones that might be hiding in their room. Because Mikey finds a new home with the boy at the end of the story, there is an additional message; it is okay to be different, and you can find people who accept you for who you are."

The book is self-published through Ingram Spark, and is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, independent books stores, target.com, walmart.com, and other retailers and wholesalers across North America. (See it at Target here.)

Wolff's bio notes that "His books are expressions of love for humanity with the intention of helping young people grow into the best version of themselves Corey enjoys spending time with his children and likes reading to them at bedtime. He leads a fulfilling, purpose-driven life, and he wishes you his kind of success."

Wolff can't stop dreaming up stories. He's already working on his next book.

Find out more about Wolff and Mikey Monsterson at this link.