| Children's Halloween Books Aug 13th 2011, 10:02 Whether your child is a preschooler, an independent reader, or somewhere in between, I have a children's Halloween book to recommend. You'll find some not-too-scary picture books, one pretty scary picture book, a joke book, a science book about pumpkins and a cumulative tale, among others. Several of the Halloween books for children feature popular characters (Nate the Great, the Berenstain Bears) and are part of a popular series. One of the Halloween picture books comes with an audiobook and an animated version fo the story. 
Marshall Cavendish By the Light of the Halloween Moon is a cumulative tale that begins with a dark night, a full moon, a wiggling toe, and a black cat.The infectious story, with its alliteration, rhythmic repeating lines and scary-comic illustrations make By the Light of the Halloween Moon an appealing book for most 6- to 8-year-olds, as well as some younger children. The author of the Halloween picture book is Caroline Stutson and the illustrator is Kevin Hawkes. (Marshall Cavendish, 2009. ISBN: 9780761455530) Read my review of By the Light of the Halloween Moon. 
National Geographic Society Celebrate Halloween with Pumpkins, Costumes, and Candy is part of National Geographic's Holidays Around the World series of nonfiction books. The book, by Deborah Heiligman, uses color photographs of children celebrating fall and Halloween in several different countries to illustrate the story of Halloween, its history and celebration. An afterword provides directions for a Halloween game, information about The Day of the Dead, a recipe for a Spooky Graveyard cake, a glossary, a map showing where the photographs were taken, a one-page essay by scholar Jack Santino, and recommended books and Web sites for readers eager to learn more about Halloween. (National Geographic, 2007. ISBN: 9781426301209) Read my review of Celebrate Halloween. 
Holiday House Because she had to eat too many pumpkins when she was a child and money was scarce, Rebecca Estelle grew up hating them. As an adult, she never ate or planted them. One fall, a big surprise, too many pumpkins in her own garden, made her change her mind. Written by Linda White, this picture book features colorful, detailed illustrations by Megan Lloyd. (Holiday House, 1996. ISBN: 0823413209) Read my review of Too Many Pumpkins 
Candlewick Press Tucker's Spooky Halloween is part of the Candlewick Storybook Animations Series. Like the other books in the series, it includes a children's book, a video animation of the story, two audio versions, one with and one without page-turn signals, and more, all packaged in a clear plastic envelope. The story, by Leslie McGuirk, centers around Tucker, a little white dog, and his quest to dress up as something scary for Halloween. McGuirk's colorful illustrations are an asset. (Candlewick Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780763644697) Read my review of Tucker's Spooky Halloween. 
Henry Holt and Company The Halloween picture book Los Gatos Black on Halloween will send shivers of delight down the spines of older children who thrive on creepy stories and illustrations. The influence of her childhood in Mexico is reflected in the paintings by illustrator Yuyi Morales. Elements of the Day of the Dead celebration can also be found in the text by author Martha Montes, who was born in Puerto Rico. This picture book would make a wonderful Halloween read-aloud, as well as a read-alone, for 8-12 year olds who love scary stories and pictures. It is scarier than most picture books, which is why I don't recommend it for all ages or all 8-12 year olds. (Henry Holt and Company, 2006. ISBN: 9780805074291) Read my review of Los Gatos Black on Halloween. This charming story by Charlotte Zolotow is about Thomas, a little boy who moves into a "new house on a new street" and never ventures from his front steps because he thinks his neighbors don't like him. Day after day, he watches children playing and neighbors walking by. When Halloween comes, he is surprised to find that his neighbors, children and adults alike, recognize him, despite the tiger mask he hides behind, and want to be friends. He goes home a happy boy. (Hyperion, 2003. ISBN: 9780786805174) 
Random House What Was I Scared Of? by Dr Seuss is a new picture book edition of an old Dr. Seuss story that first appeared in The Sneeches and Other Stories. Subtitled: A Glow-in-the-Dark Encounter, this children's book is a sweet story of two creatures who start out scared of one another, even though one is "A pair of green pants / With nobody inside then!" The narrator is scared of the pants, but ends up comforting the pants when he realizes the pair of pants is very scared of him. While not a Halloween story, it's a good very slightly scary story for ages 4-8 during the Halloween season, particularly since special ink makes some of the artwork on every page glow in the dark. (Random House, 2009; ISBN: 9780375853425) Humbug Witch by Lorna Balian tells the story of a scary-looking little witch who finds that, despite looking like a witch, she can't do what witches do. The little witch is quite a sight, with a big nose, crooked teeth and stringy red hair. Although she tries, the little witch can't cackle like a witch, fly on a broom, cast magical spells or make magic potions. We find out why when the little witch removes her costume and mask, and we see she is a little girl who has been dressed up for Halloween. The simple illustrations are full of humor, much of it the result of the expression on the face of the black cat as he watches the little witch. This is a good book for three- to five-year-olds. (Star Bright Books, 2003, 1965. ISBN: 9781595720092) This just-scary-enough story is both a good read-aloud and a goood read alone. A little old lady goes walking in the forest until dark and then heads for home. On the way, she keeps hearing ominous sounds. She finds herself followed by noisy clomping boots, then by wiggly pants, and more. Kids will enjoy repeating the sounds and will delight in the little old lady's creative solution to the problem of what to do with these noisy objects. (HarperCollins, 1998. ISBN: 0064431835) This book is part of Stan and Jan Berenstain's First Time Books series. For the first time, Brother and Sister Bear are going trick or treating without an adult along. While the authors emphasize the rules for Halloween safety, they also tell an entertaining story about not judging by appearances. (Random House,1989 ISBN: 0679800913)   | |
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