Spooktacular Stories for Small Children

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It's that time of year again: time for jack-o-lanterns, candy corn, costumes, and caramel apples... and also curling up under a blanket to read a few Halloween books! :)

It's been several years now since I had someone to read picture books with. A couple of weeks ago I checked out a BIG stack of Halloween picture books from the library. I brought them home and read them all out loud to myself! The following books are the ones that I liked best from that stack, ones that I thought my own kiddos would've enjoyed when they were younger. I hope you will like them, too!

Fiction:

Boo, Bunny!,

written by Kathryn O. Galbraith

and illustrated by Jeff Mack, 2008

The dark Halloween night is a little too scary for one shy bunny -- until Bunny bumps into a friend.

Everything's better with a friend, and this cute story is no exception.  I especially liked Mack's artwork.

***

Pumpkin Trouble,

written and illustrated by Jan Thomas, 2011

This short, silly story about a duck, his friends, and some pumpkin trouble made me giggle!

***

Just Say BOO!,

written by Susan Hood

and illustrated by Jed Henry, 2012

What should you do when something scares you on Halloween? Just say BOO!

This book is perfect for the littlest of trick-or-treaters who may not be too sure about the spooky sights all around them this time of year. Hood's story and Henry's watercolor illustrations work together to gently help dispel young children's fears.

***

T. Rex Trick-Or-Treats,

written by Lois G. Grambling

and illustrated by Jack E. Davis, 2005

T. Rex wants to be scary for Halloween, but what kind of costume should he wear?

Gambling's words and Davis's illustrations together create a funny story that all ages can enjoy. I especially liked all of the facial expressions throughout the book.

***

The Best Halloween Hunt Ever,
written and illustrated by John Speirs, 2000

More of an activity book than a story book, The Best Halloween Hunt Ever offers detailed pictures on every page, with lists of items to look for and bats to count.

My 10-year-old Ben loves this kind of book -- and always has. It makes for a perfect (quiet!) indoor activity on a cold autumn day.

***

Shy Mama's Halloween,
written by Anne Broyles
and illustrated by Leane Morin, 2000 

When Anya's family moves from Russia to the United States, she and her siblings are eager to celebrate their first Halloween. Mama is shy and frightened by many things in her new country, especially this holiday of ghosts and goblins. Papa agrees to take the children trick-or-treating, but then falls sick. Will Anya and her siblings have to settle for watching all the Halloween fun outside their window?

I found this to be a beautifully written, special book. Dealing with various themes (including multicultural differences, emotions, and acceptance), this book would be a great one to read and then discuss in a classroom.

***

Alpha Oops!:
H Is for Halloween,
written by Alethea Kontis
and illustrated by Bob Kolar, 2010

It's time for the Halloween show, but A isn't ready yet. Maybe this time H can go first, and then... Z?

Who knew that a daffy, mixed-up alphabet could be laugh-out-loud funny? This one sure is. Alpha Oops!: H is for Halloween seems like a book that young kids will want to hear over and over again!

***

A Creepy Countdown,
written by Charlotte Huck
and illustrated by Jos. A. Smith, 1998

From one to ten and then down to one again, this rhyming, counting book is enchanting! My favorite thing about it is Smith's meticulous and spooky artwork on every page.

***

Behind the Mask,

written and illustrated by Yangsook Choi, 2006

Kimin decides to dress up as his grandfather, a Korean mask dancer who is no longer living, for Halloween. But Kimin doesn't know that the mask holds a secret, just for him.

I like how Choi combines Korean and American folk traditions in this tale and also how she shows Kimin's connection to his grandfather growing stronger.

***

The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin,
written by Margaret Wise Brown
and illustrated by Richard Egielski, 2003

A little pumpkin dreams of growing big and fierce and able to scare the field mice like the scarecrow scares birds. Does his wish come true?

I like the way that Brown uses repetition to tell this charming story. Egielski's vivid artwork pairs nicely with it.

***

Harriet's Halloween Candy,
written and illustrated by Nancy Carlson, 2002

It's hard to share, especially when you're asked to share your hard-earned Halloween candy. When Harriet runs out of places to hide her candy from her little brother, there's only one thing left to do (other than share it, that is)....

The amusing consequences to Harriet's actions were my favorite part of this book. (That and the fact that it reminded me of my own kids, trying to hide their chocolate trick-or-treat candy from their father!)

***

Wild Witches' Ball,
written by Jack Prelutsky
and illustrated by Kelly Asbury, 1976

A rhyming, counting book about the antics at the Wild Witches' Ball, this is an entertaining story with lively pictures.

***

Pumpkin Jack,
written and illustrated by Will Hubbell, 2000

When Tim carves his very first pumpkin, it turns out so well that he decides it needs a name --Jack. Tim keeps Jack for as long as he can, but when the pumpkin starts to rot, his mother insists he throw it out. Tim carries Jack to the garden where the pumpkin grows flat and moldy. Soon Tim forgets about Jack -- until the spring when he finds a surprise in the garden!

I love Hubbell's engaging story about the life cycle of a pumpkin, as well as his beautiful illustrations. This is a book I'd be happy to buy and add to my own collection!

***

The Three Bears' Halloween,
written by Kathy Duval
and illustrated by Paul Meisel, 2007

Mama Bear and Papa Bear take Baby Bear trick-or-treating and pay a visit to... you guessed it!... Goldilocks.

I enjoyed the role-reversal of the well-known fairy tale and this story's Halloween twist.

***

Halloween Howls: Holiday Poetry,
selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins
and illustrated by Stacey Schuett, 2005

A dozen poems -- including some from Jane Yolen, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and Lee Bennett Hopkins --  capture the spirit of Halloween in this collection for beginning readers.

This delightful, easy-to-read poetry made me grin like a jack-o-lantern! :)

***

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You:
Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together,
written by Mary Ann Hoberman
and illustrated by Michael Emberley, 2007

This book contains fourteen frighteningly fun stories written "in two voices",  to be read aloud with a friend.

As I mentioned earlier, I read all of these books aloud to myself. With this one, more than any other, I was wishing someone else was home to read it with me! I tried reading the different parts with different voices, but it just wasn't the same. Then, earlier this week, I asked Ben to do a reading of the book with me. He had a blast with it (he's a bit of a ham!) and we ended up recording part of it. I'll share that video with you next week....

***

Non-fiction:

How to Carve Freakishly Cool Pumpkins,
written by Sarah L. Schuette, 2011, 

This book shares photos and step-by-step instructions for eleven different jack-o-lanterns, ranging from cute to gross to scary!

I LOVE carving pumpkins and try to come up with a different look each year. I found a couple of ideas in this book that I'm planning to use this year -- and in the future.

***

Kids' Pumpkin Projects:
Planting & Harvest Fun,
written by Deanna F. Cook
and illustrated by Kate Flanagan, 1998

Do you love pumpkins? This book contains "more than 50 indoor/outdoor pumpkin activities for year-round fun!" It includes recipes, games, arts and crafts, gardening tips for growing your own pumpkins, and much more.

I love everything pumpkin. I am definitely planning to try some of the recipes from this book soon. And, after reading through this, I am seriously considering growing my own pumpkins next year. I know my kiddos would get a kick out of that, too!

***

The Halloween Book of Facts & Fun,
written by Wendie Old
and illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye, 2007

Halloween riddles, facts about the history of Halloween, party ideas, and safety tips are just a few of the items packed into this book.

I found this book interesting and informative. I even learned a few things! I chuckled through the riddles (many of them puns, which I love) and have had fun sharing them with Ben. (He mostly just groans -- but then he runs off to tell them to his brother and his friends!)

***

How to Haunt a House,
written by Dan Witkowski
and illustrated by Jack Lindstrom, 1994

"Everything you need to know to make your home, garage, or school frightfully fun for Halloween -- or any evening of the year!" This book includes tips for lighting, makeup, costumes, sound effects, illusions, decorations, and more.

I really had fun looking through this book. It gave me lots of great ideas I can use to "spookify" our house! 

***

Horrorgami:
Spooky Paper Folding for Children,
written and illustrated by Steve and Megumi Biddle, 1996

Easy-to-follow instructions and photographs explain how to make over 20 different Halloween shapes using origami, including a rat, a spider, and the Phantom of the Opera.

My daughter Emmalie is an origami expert. I think next time she is home from college, I'm going to check out this book again so that she can make several of the shapes for me! (Note: it's not necessary to be an origami expert in order to make these -- the instructions look clear and simple to follow. I just know that she would have fun trying them!)

***

For even more Halloween books geared toward young children, check out my posts from previous years: Not-So-Spooky Stories and Bootiful Books for Young Kids.

Have you read any of the books above? If so, what did you think? Do you have favorite Halloween stories that aren't listed here? I'd love to hear about them!

Is six times one a lot of fun?

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Is six times one a lot of fun?
Or eight times two?
Perhaps for you.
But five times three
unhinges me,
while six and seven and eight times eight
put me in an awful state
and four and six and nine times nine
make me want to cry and whine
so when I get to twelve times ten
I begin to wonder when
I can take a vacation from multiplication
and go out
and start playing again.

~ Karla Kuskin

Math unhinges me, too! It has never, ever been my thing and I am so amazed when others (like my almost-10-year-old son) find mathematics easy and/or fun. How about you? Do you agree with the sentiment of this poem or are your feelings the opposite of Ms. Kuskin's?

Fiction for Animal Lovers

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Our family loves animals. You may have heard me say that my 16-year-old son Nick lives and breathes animals -- all day, every day. But the rest of us are fans of "all creatures great and small", too. We love our pets (a cockatiel, a leopard gecko, and two fire-bellied toads), we enjoy watching wildlife whenever we spend time outside, we visit zoos several times a year, and we all get excited whenever there's a bird or a squirrel at one of our backyard feeders. Are you an animal lover, too? If so, this post is for you!

Over the past few months, I have read several fictional books featuring animals. Some are realistic fiction and others are pure fantasy. A few of them are picture books and the rest are for older readers. I enjoyed all of these stories and am happy to share them with you here:

Picture books:

One Gorilla,
written and illustrated by Anthony Browne, 2012

This beautifully illustrated book counts primates, a different species on each page. I just love the vivid, lifelike pictures that make counting fun. This book wasn't around yet when my Nick was a toddler, but if it had been, I'm sure that we would've owned a copy and read through it daily!

***

Slow Loris,
written and illustrated by Alexis Deacon, 2002

Slow Loris is soooo sloooow. The people who come to the zoo -- and even the other animals -- all think that he is too boring. But Loris has a secret....

This story introduces readers to the slow loris, a real animal. It presents facts about the primate, but then offers a surprise and some very amusing illustrations of Loris, the fictional character. This is another book that Nick would've loved when he was younger.

***

Birdsong,
written and illustrated by Ellie Sandall, 2010

This story begins with one bird on a branch, singing its unique song. On every page a new bird with a different song arrives. When a large bird with a very loud voice arrives, it clears the branch... with comic results.

While both the story and the colorful illustrations in this book made me smile, my favorite part was reading the birdsongs aloud. Who can resist calling, "Kitcha kitcha Kee kee kee," or answering "Urrah! Urrah! Rah rah ree."?

***

Middle grade books:

The Wind in the Willows,
written by Kenneth Grahame, 1908

A story of the friendship between a Rat, a Mole, a Badger, and a Toad, this book has been a favorite classic of many readers for over one hundred years now. 

When I was a girl, I remember watching Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, partly based on The Wind in the Willows. I also had a big book of Disney stories that included Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, based on the movie. But I never read the full text of The Wind in the Willows until recently. My son Ben received the book Return to the Willows (shown below) from his grandparents. He wanted me to read it out loud to him, but after some discussion, we decided to read Grahame's book first and then Kelly's.

Written in the language style from over a century ago, this book is not an easy read -- despite the fact that it is considered a children's story.  There were many times when I had to pause in my reading aloud to explain the meanings of words to Ben, words such as "imperiously", "contemptuous", or "reminiscence". Once we moved past that difficulty -- or, at least, got used to it -- we both found the tale enjoyable. Ben especially liked hearing about the absurd Mr. Toad and all the trouble he gets into throughout the book!

***

Return to the Willows,
written by Jacqueline Kelly
and illustrated by Clint Young, 2012

One hundred and four years after Grahame's The Wind in the Willows was published, Jacqueline Kelly wrote this sequel to the classic story. She brings back all four friends, along with many other characters from the first book, and a whole host of new adventures.

I believe that Kelly did a wonderful job matching the rich language and the "feel" of the original story. It is clear that she knows and loves that story, and she pays homage to it while creating something new. The story can, in fact, stand by itself -- one would not have to read The Wind in the Willows before reading this one. I am glad that we read both books, but I have to say that Ben and I actually preferred this book to the first. The story seemed to go a little faster and many of the situations that Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad encounter had us both laughing out loud. In addition, Young's illustrations throughout the book are delightful.

***

The Underneath,
written by Kathi Appelt,
with drawings by David Small, 2008

Deep in the woods, where the only human is a violent, scary man called Gar Face, a pregnant cat befriends a lonely chained-up hound dog. She soon gives birth to two kittens and the four animals become a family.  Their world is a dangerous one, however, and the cats must stay out of sight, in the Underneath of Gar Face's ramshackle house. If the man discovers them, he will use the felines as alligator bait....

Though this is a middle grade book, I do not recommend it for children under age 10 -- even older children or teens may be bothered by some of the darker scenes. I found the book a little confusing at first, because the point of view jumps around. The story also travels back in time, thousands of years ago, and there is a magical element to the story that I didn't understand at first. Ultimately, however, Appelt's poetic writing and her message about the power of love drew me in to the story.

***

Young adult books (these are also filed as middle grade books at my library):

Redwall,
written by Brian Jacques, 1986

Redwall Abbey, inhabited by a community of peace-loving mice, is suddenly under attack by Cluny the Scourge, the evil one-eyed rat. Matthias the mouse must learn to become a warrior and somehow save his friends and beloved home. 

There are 22 books in the Redwall series and this is the only one that I've read so far, but I'm hoping to try more of them in the future. I was first introduced to this book about ten years ago, when we were visiting family and my father-in-law read the first couple of chapters to my kiddos at bedtime. I kept meaning to get ahold of a copy so that we could finish the story, but that never happened. Finally, this summer, I checked it out of the library and read it. I liked the story, though I think I would've liked it even more as a child. I knew it would appeal to my 9-year-old son Ben, so once I'd finished it, I recommended it to him. Sure enough, he loved it and can't wait to read more!

***

The One and Only Ivan,
written by Katherine Applegate, 2011

Inspired by a true story, this fictional tale centers on Ivan, a gorilla who lives behind a glass wall at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He rarely thinks about his past life in the jungle, focusing instead on his friends Bob (a stray dog) and Stella (an elderly elephant) or on his finger paint artwork. But one day a baby elephant named Ruby arrives at the mall. Taken from her family, Ruby helps Ivan see their home, and his art, in a brand new way.

This is probably my favorite of the books in this post. I was drawn into it immediately and had to keep reading until I'd finished. I also shed a few tears before I was done. It is a touching, bittersweet story that has stayed with me long after turning the final page.

***

Silverwing,
written by Kenneth Oppel, 1997

The first of a trilogy that includes the books Sunwing and Firewing, this is the story of Shade, the runt of his Silverwing bat colony. While migrating south for the winter, Shade is separated from the others and thrown off course during a storm. He encounters a host of other bats on his journey to find his colony -- but are they friends or enemies?

Throughout this fictional story, Oppel presents many real facts about bats, which is one of the reasons I liked the book. I also enjoyed the characters and the adventure aspect of the book. I have not yet read the rest of the trilogy, but I plan to!

***

Hoot,
written by Carl Hiaasen, 2002

Middle school Roy has just moved to Coconut Cove, FL and already he's being bullied. One day he notices a barefoot boy running past. Roy sees the boy more than once -- always barefoot, always running. As he sets out to discover who the boy is, Roy finds himself caught up in an effort to halt the construction of a chain restaurant that would destroy the colony of burrowing owls living on the site.

This was another favorite of mine -- Ben and Nick are both big fans of the book, too. It was a quick, humorous read that kept my interest throughout.

***

Where the Red Fern Grows,

written by Wilson Rawls, 1961

Young Billy's dream is to own a pair of coonhounds to take hunting with him, but his parents can't afford to buy one dog, let alone two. Billy goes to work doing odd jobs to earn the money himself and finally, after two long years, is able to buy a pair of pups. Old Dan and Little Ann turn out to be the best dogs a boy could ask for and Billy soon begins training them to hunt for raccoons.

I remember classmates of mine reading this classic when I was in elementary school, and in my early 20's I watched the 1974 film based on this story, but I'd never read the book myself until just last month. I have to admit that it was difficult for me to get into the story at first. In most cases, I am opposed to hunting and I did not like reading the passages that were strictly about that sport. (I felt sorry for the raccoons!) When I was finally able to get over that aspect of the story, however, I liked the rest of it. I especially appreciated Rawls's descriptive writing of the woods where Billy lives and hunts, and of the deep love that grows between the boy and his dogs.

***

Have you read any of the books above? If so, what did you think of them? What are some other books about animals that you suggest reading? I am always looking for new books to add to my to-read list!

If you are interested in more of my animal book recommendations, please check the following links:

Wild (and Not-So-Wild) Things

A Passion for Penguins

Groundhogs for BookWyrms

A Penguin Obsession

Wild About Animals? (This post features non-fiction books.)

You can also click on "Wild Things" and "Not-So-Wild Things" in the Labels section on the right to find even more.