Wow, there's a lot of these! I'm sure it would be helpful if I put the titles in alphabetical order or some such thing, but where'd be the fun in that? An almost exhaustive list, or an exhausting list. Either works.
You'll notice I list whether a book is rhyming, and if it's a twisted classic (i.e., retelling of some sort).
Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D San Souci. Harcourt, 2000.
Rhyming, Twisted Classic
The art is A++. The book, however ... The story doesn’t twist the tale or take it to a higher plane of creativity, it just changes details of Cinderella to make it Halloween. Rhyme is occasionally forced/reliance on near-rhyme. But the pictures. Oh my word, creepy and stunningly beautiful.
Monster Museum (2001) &
Creature Carnival (2004) by Marilyn Singer. Hyperion.
Rhymed poetry
Volumes of monster-themed poetry, all rhyming and sing-song. The poems aren’t quite as novel as
Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, nor do they have a story arc or irony. And they’re not as fun or gross as
Sipping Spiders Through a Straw. As poems, they’re cute and straightforward. Fun, cute, and equally straightforward art.
The Monster Trap by Dean Morrissey. HarperCollins, 2004.
Again, Holy Illustrations! Beautiful, detailed, emotionally rich, sensuous, full of mood and movement. Love love love to look at this book. Reading it ... there’s a decent arc to the story, but the writing is rather unadorned. Perhaps a good pairing, since the focus is the art, but the beauty is without a doubt in the art, not the words.
Spooky Hour by Tony Mitton. Orchard, 2003.
Rhyming concept book
I was a bit surprised that the word “spooks” made it past the content editors. But it’s, oddly, a counting book. Sort of. With decent rhyme at the start that falters a bit. There’s no arc to the story, but as said, it's a counting book. The art is fun with a Sendak feel (the little boy looks a bit like Max from
Where the Wild Things Are), but light and very non-threataning. This is one unlikely to give a kiddo nightmares, and as a counting book, that's a big Horray!
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat by Lucille Colandro. Scholastic, 2002.
Rhyming twisted classic
First, the art in this and Colandro's other "Old Lady" spins is just fabulous. So funny and full of movement and life. This particular story is a Halloween take-off on “There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly,” but I'm not sure it works as well as her others. The rhyme isn't as unexpected or natural as I'd like; the story, quite honestly, seemed like a "formula" filled too quickly and with too little thought. Yes, this series has been fun, but that doesn't mean it should be easy/shoddy.
Darkness Slipped In by Ella Burfoot. Kingfisher, 2007.
Rhyming
Another author-illustrator book, with major emphasis on illustration. Personified Darkness sneaks into Daisy's room, but rather than hide in fear, Daisy invites him to dance. A solid story arc, but less-than-inspired rhyme. I love the simplicity and contrast of the illustrations, plus the tactile feel of the book - slippery-smooth Darkness against the somewhat matte paper.
I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll. Flashlight Press, 2009.
Many in the early part of this list have to-die-for illustrations.
I Need My Monster is no exception. Pixar-like illustrations, a delight for the eyes. The story itself is about a child who can't sleep without the favorite monster, Gabe. A fun twist on the
Knuffle Bunny theme. Overall, decent voice, decent plot, decent premise. Downside for a read-aloud (particularly before bed): heavy on the text.
The Zombie Nite Café by Merrily Kutner. Holiday House, 2007.
Rhyming
Ok, this is a tiny rant. Very small, it will soon be over, promise. Here goes: I HATE LOATHE DESPISE books that show kids being required to keep frightening secrets or are told that no one would believe them anyway!!!! HATE!!!! Ok, on to the book itself, adorable illustrations, cute premise, but rhyme doesn't have to be this hard. Rather it shouldn't
look this hard, with twisted syntax and tangled logic. Perhaps some rhythmic prose would have been a better choice for this story?
Eek! Creak! Snicker, Sneak by Rhonda Gowler Greene. Atheneum, 2002. Rhyming
Solid rhythm and form at the start. It does falter a bit as the story moves on, but given the cute illustrations, I'd overlook it. There’s no protagonist, however, so it's hard to feel emotional connection with the story. It feels cold and somewhat distant. Even the Bugaboos (such a great idea!) lose some of their wonderful dimensionality as the story progresses.
Three Little Ghosties by Pippa Goodhart. Bloomsbury, 2007.
Rhyming twisted classic
I LOVE the risks Pippa took with language, but without form and consistency the story was virtually impossible to read aloud no matter how many times I tried. I wanted to love it, I really did, and Pie (my reading assistant during this project) loved the idea of the little ghosties, and adored the art, but I just couldn't get past the stumbly, tumbly rhythm. A better reader may find this a favorite. It's certainly clever, cute, surprising, and makes full use of the beauty of language. Not to mention fun to look at.
Sheep Trick or Treat by Nancy Shaw. Houghton Mifflin, 1997.
Rhyming
Ok, the
Sean The Sheep-flavor illustrations killed me. Sheep looking menacing and evil? HAHA! Love it. The rhythm skips about a bit, but the rhyme is often engaging. These are some creative sheep - I can see little kiddos reading this story and going into the dress-up bin to make their own costumes. Or into the bathroom cupboard for rolls of bathroom tissue to mummify themselves (ok, maybe that's just what
my kiddos would do).
Scary, Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting (Pics by Jan Brett). Clarion, 1986.
Rhyming
And who said rhyme was "out" in publishing? I'll eventually do the math (hey, I took statistics), but I'd guess a perty high percentage of these books are written in rhyme. This one too. There is a surprise at the end: the kitties are watching the Trick-or-treaters! Cute, but Brett’s pictures just aren’t as detailed and delicious as they usually are. No borders, for example. I still love to linger in her artwork, just not as much as some of her other books. And, in case you were worried, this book isn't scary.
Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman. Simon & Schuster, 1992.
Rhyming
Much use of interior rhyme (sat, drat), but a little loose on logical flow. It’s cumulative, about a witch growing a pumpkin. It gets big. As the title might foreshadow! The art stands on its own with a very spooky mood, but enough fun and frivolity to not scare the kiddos. Too much.
What’s That Noise by William Carman. Random House, 2002.
The focus of this book is clearly the art. Which is lovely. But as a writer, my focus is on the text. A bit disappointing, yet the art does make for a lovely book.
City Witch, Country Switch by Wendy Wax. Cavendish, 2008.
Rhyming
Witchy cousins learn to appreciate one another. The cousins come up with an interesting and clever solution to the country/city problem (involving fun spells!), but the rhyme ... Hmmm. Wax's free and fun illustrations are clever and enjoyable, making this book a surprisingly fun read for little witch-loving fashionistas. It's almost Fancy Nancy or Princess Whatever, but Halloween.
Very Brave Witch by Alison McGhee. Simon & Shuster, 2006.
I found this one a little confusing, but maybe I'm just especially slow. Possible. Witches are afraid of humans because they’re not green, and humans are afraid to fly ... and this all relates how? Sweet illustrations, and I do love the text bubbles - great for emerging readers to try to sound out while the story is being read aloud.
The Three Bears’ Halloween by Kathy Duval. Holiday House, 2007.
Twisted Classic
Alas, no picture for this one. Too bad. The story starts nicely, with setting and a distinct time and place—very grounded. I loved how the bears went trick-or-treating and got berries and honey. Then comes the Goldilocks twist, the repetition, but it’s all in service of the punch line. The three bears scare Goldilocks accidentally because they think her house is haunted. It’s a twisted classic but I might have liked more twist.
I’m Not Afraid of This Haunted House by Laurie Friedman. Carolrhoda, 2005.
Rhyming
I had a little rhyme written about the rhyme in this book, but it, uh, wasn't nice. Let's just say rhyme is hard, and some books make it look hard. Another “Punch line” book—he’s not scared of the haunted house with all it’s icky, scary, almost too-gross stuff (swimming in Dracula’s pool of blood? Ewwwwww!), but is scared of a mouse. I do love the fun and zany illustrations. So Halloween.
What’s That Noise? by Michelle Edwards and Phyllis Root. 2002.
This one is cute with an easy, flowing voice, adorable pictures, strong storyline. Not much else to say, except Phyllis Root is one of my favorite people ever. She teaches in the Hamline MFA program, did you know that? She's brilliant, a picture book goddess, and just all-around lovely. Oh, and her books are fabulous too.
The Ghost of Nicholas Greebe by Tony Johnston. Dial, 1996.
I the voice is fluid and the story cute. Fun to read. It has a lovely antiquated feel with a refrain and clever storyline (A ghost vows to haunt the house until his bone is found, which it is, most delightfully). The pen and ink illustrations add to the story and to that feel of Classic Ghost Story. A delight.
Frankenstein Makes A Sandwich by Adam Rex. Harcourt, 2006.
Rhyming
An anthology of horrific poetry loaded with irony and a subtle plot thread involving the Phantom of the Opera. Dracula with spinach in his teeth was FUNNY. All around clever and enjoyable book. Oh, and did I mention the illustrations? Detailed, unexpected, total fun.
The Mystery of Eatum Hall by John Kelly and Cathy Tincknell. Candlewick, 2004.
There is great dramatic irony here - the illustrations are constantly doing something the narrative is not - and the voice worked. Funny and fun.
Most Loved Monster by Lynn Downey. Dial, 2004.
Funny with twists and turns on everyday things. I like how monsterness is normalized and I love the touching, tender ending. The prose uses repetition, but not a lot of rhythm. Still, unique and well-illustrated.
Who is Your Favorite Monster, Mama? by Barbara Shook Hazen. Hyperion, 2006.
Compared to the book above, monsterness is not done nearly as well. The story is sweet, very different from what you expect (the above was more “traditional”), but why are they monsters? Just to be monsters. To dress up an otherwise plain storyline in monster clothing.
Wake the Dead by Monica A Harris. Walker and Company, 2004.
Lots of “dead” puns with a solid and enjoyable voice, but when is enough enough, vs. too much? I felt this one could have been stripped a bit for more punch, because as is, it's a bit too punchy. Ah, the irony!
Where’s My Mummy? by Carolyn Crimi. Candlewick, 2008.
Rhyming
Some of it rhymes and it uses the same “I’m not scared” motif that’s ubiquitous in these books. It even has the same “scared of a mouse” at the end. It’s similar to Eastman’s classic Are You My Mother? but it’s not a parody. A parody might be more fun, in my opinion. So I guess I’ll write it!
The Halloween House by Erica Silverman. FS&G, 1997.
Rhyming twisted classic
A Halloween version of “Over in the Meadow.” The text is lovely. Clever, well-done rhyme that
could have made it a classic. But the illustrations: they WRECKED what would otherwise be a very cute and successful book. Taking this classic and overlaying a fully artificial and fully silly burglar story? Nonononon! That there is horror enough. The illustrator should be shot. The author should shoot him.
Under the Bed by Paul Bright. Good Books, 2004.
Rhyming
It’s a cumulative tale! How clever! It had an air of adult “talking” which would be interesting to investigate at some future point. For now, solid story with cute illustrations.
Mr. Beast by James Sage and Russell Ayto. Henry Holt, 2004.
Again, no image available. But great voice, wonderful flow. Only ... the beast is Charlie’s dad! That was disappointing to me the adult reader, but I don't expect a child would feel quite so cheated.
The Little Old Lady Who was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. HarperCollins, 1986.
Lots of repetition, a turn at the end. Fun! I enjoyed the Old Lady's ever-growing fear, then the surprise of her turning the ghost into a scarecrow—clever.
The Teeny-Tiny Woman by Paul Galdone. 1984.
So this was a fave of mine as a child. Bias aside, I love the repetition of the sounds “teeny-tiny”—everything is so teeny tiny! How fun! And the mystery of the bone/ghost coming for his bone. It’s just chilling enough to make a child gleeful, but not so horrifying it leads to nightmares.
Jitterbug Jam: A Monster Tale by Barbara Jean Hicks. FS&G, 2004.
A great, wonderful, incredible voice in this one and I want to love it, but it’s just so long. A little simplification could have tightened up the otherwise brilliant, risky, unusual tale. Fabulous rhythm.
Cat Nights by Jane Manning. Greenwillow, 2008.
Nice voice and rhythm here, flows beautifully, easy to read aloud. The storyline is compelling and in the end the little witch follows her heart, which I love. This one is a treasure and surprisingly satisfying, plus the super-sweet illustrations. A fabulous non-frightening Halloween tale.
Sipping Spiders Through a Straw: Campfire Songs for Monsters by Kelly DiPucchio.
Rhyming twisted classic
These classic kids’ songs are twisted into a scary sampler. They’re fun, but few tell stories the way the original songs did. Still, clever and incredibly enjoyable to sing/read. The rhythm/rhyme is dead on the whole time. No pun intended.
Wizzil by William Steig. FS&G, 2000.
I LOVE the voice. And the story is cute. But what would you expect from William Steig?
Vunce Upon a Time by Jotto Seibold & Siobhan Vivian. Chronicle, 2008.
Great premise: a vegetarian vampire who loves candy! He has to dress up for Halloween but can’t think of anything frightening. There is a sold beginning, middle, end, but quite a few little side plots. Text heavy and a bit long to read aloud. Clever, however, and super cute.
Halloween Night by Marjorie Dennis Murray. Greenwillow, 2008.
Rhyming twisted classic
“The Night Before Christmas” for Halloween! How fabulous! And the ghouls scare away the trick-or-treaters by accident which makes it the best Halloween party yet. I would have liked a stronger story arc, but with the fun illustrations, this one is a winner.
The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt (illus: Tony DiTerlizzi). Simon & Shuster, 2002.
Rhyming twisted classic
Stunning. The writing is clever and beautiful, the rhyme smooth, the form precise, the story compelling and full of irony and surprises, the illustrations vivid and deliciously creepy. This is art.
Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody by Michael Rex. Putnam, 2008.
Rhyming twisted classic
I laughed so hard I nearly peed my pants. But my kids didn’t get what was so funny. Clear to adults, it’s a parody of Brown’s classic
Goodnight Moon and is wonderfully done.
Lucy Dove by Janice Del Negro. DK, 1998.
I’m not sure why I love this so much. The language is vivid and unique (laird vs. lord), the story is truly terrifying, and Lucy Dove acts and escapes all on her own. I love that it's a retelling of a great Celtic myth, love the eerie and ethereal art, I just love it.
The Teeny Tiny Ghost and the Monster by Kay Winters. HarperCollins, 2004.
Rhyming
From the first page the illustrations captivated me. I love the rumpled, creepy little ghouls! I want one of my own!
Here, one tiny ghost is bullied by the bigger ghosts - told he can't make a scary monster for the upcoming art contest. He finds a unique solution (he makes a Funny monster instead of a scary one!), but the ending feels somewhat unearned. He wins, but why?
The Pumpkin Goblin Makes Friends by Melinda Clements. Emerald Book Co., 2008.
Rhyming
The mean pumpkin goblin is redeemed by friendship. I wonder who this book is about: Fred or the town? There's a certain muddiness to characterization, unlike, say, Bateman's
Plump and Perky Turkey. Yet I enjoyed the surprising redemptive motif.
Interestingly, I found no info on the illustrator. There's a contrast of textures, bold clean lines like vector art, but with a heavy use of texture fills and transparencies. Hmmm.
Halloween Goodnight by Doug Cushman. Henry Holt, 2010.
Rhyming
How do monsters say goodnight? The repetition aids the rhyme while providing a solid structure, and the friendly illustrations give just a touch of fright without being truly scary. A sweet, bedtime read aloud.
My only complaint: why is the Mummy language not transliterated? There's a book,
How the Amazon Queen Fought the Prince of Egypt, that has true phrases in hieroglyphics, with pronunciations below. How much more fun to learn to
say goodnight in "Egyptian" than just see symbols that may or may not mean "goodnight"?
Halloween Hats by Elizabeth Winthrop. Henry Holt, 2002.
Rhyming
Happy, Steig-like illustrations with a surprise ending. Up until the final pages it seems like a simple list of hats. It could be illustrated as Halloween, or anything at all. Then there's a hat-switching game at a Halloween party. The illustrations tell their own story - getting ready for Halloween night - and move beyond the text. Surprising and nice.
Black Cat Creeping by Teddy Slater. Sterling, 2004.
Rhyming
A very early picture book with sweet text, much of which Mud Pie could read on her own (though still not all - so it's best as a read-aloud for a 2-4 yr old).
The illustrations, however, don't seem to match the text. Drawings show a five or six-year-old, but the text is clearly better for a much younger child. Odd.
Here they Come! by David Costello. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004.
Rhyming
The first page is quite text heavy, but after that hiccup, the pacing is smooth. In this story, the monsters are gathering for a Halloween party, but the punch line? The scariest creatures of all are the humans out trick-or-treating! A nice turn, and less punch-line driven than other similar books. The rhyme had uneven moments, but the illustrations are cute, the story interesting. A fun book.
Bone Dog by Eric Rohmann. Roaring Brook Press, 2011.
First off, the design of this book is absolutely stunning. I love the vellum overlay on the first page, the matte pages, the bold and simple illustrations. The story matches up. Little Gus loses his dog, but meets up with her again on Halloween night. The skeletons aren't scary, the twist at the end is funny. A delightful and fully successful book.
Shake dem Halloween Bones by W. Nikola-Lisa. Scholastic, 1997.
Rhyming
I LOVE the musical rhythm and rhyme of this book! I want to pull all three of my kiddos over and read it to them, and the illustrations are zany, wild, 100% fun. The author incorporates fairy tales into the Halloween costumes, all the characters coming together to dance at the Hip-Hop Halloween ball. Unique.
Heebie-Jeebie Jamboree by Mary Ann Fraser. Boyds Mills, 2011.
The artwork is lovely, and the story: Daphne loses her little brother Sam at a Halloween party, is cute and well thought out. Lots of fun details from foods: BBQ Bat wings to Sam getting lost in a room of ghosts, all dressed exactly like him. The story could be a little scary for siblings (maybe a "stay together" cautionary tale?), but all ends up well enough. Beautiful artwork, clean prose.
Scardey-Cat, Splat! by Rob Scotton. Harper 2010.
The title implies a cat that becomes roadkill, but surprise surprise! Another book about a scariest-whatever contest! This time it's a costume. Splat breaks his broom so dresses up as a spider, just like the scary spider he finds on page one, puts in a jar, and insists on bringing to school. Wouldn't you know, Splat ends up becoming scary when his jack-o-lantern falls on his head. The spider that seemed to be the driving force of the story? Huh? What spider? Loved the artwork. Story does what it needs to do.
Halloween Sky Ride by Elizabeth Spurr. Holiday House, 2005.
Rhyming
First impression: great art. Vector-ish, but free and fun. The rhyme is surprisingly surprising, with clever little puns and jokes woven throughout. The story itself is fun: Witch Mildred heads to the Witches' Wobble for a party and picks up other creatures on the way. Only they arrive late, missing the food, so must trick-or-treat instead. Then they head home. Satisfying and unexpected.
The Story of the Halloween Jack O'Lantern by Katherine Tegan. Harper, 2010.
Mean Mr. Jack makes a pact with the devil and is cursed by wandering the earth forever in the form of a grinning pumpkin. Ok, this is a little creepy for me. I remember the tale of the Headless Horseman freaked me out severely as a child, and this book could easily have done the same. The illustrations are likewise creepy. Beautiful, but eerie. I do like the story, and the writing is crisp and clear, but *shivvvveeerrrr*! Spooky!!!
One thing I didn't get - why did the font size suddenly increase on the penultimate page?
Haunted Party by Iza Trapani. Charlesbridge, 2009.
Rhyming, counting book
Love the detail and cuteness of the illustrations. They lend a frightening air without being scary. Perfect pairing since this is a concept book to teach counting. Clever and cute, with the well-known monsters-gather-at-a-party motif. When the trick-or-treaters come to the door I expected the usual punchline of "the monsters are scared!" But nope, the kiddos run away. Pleasantly surprising.
Minerva Louise on Halloween by Janet Morgan Stoeke. Dutton, 2009.
Simple, clean illustrations match the clean and unadorned text. Minerva Louise (the chicken) watches Halloween preparations with a silly way of misinterpreting all she's seeing. She ends up joining in the festivities, all along not knowing she's celebrating Halloween! Delightful, wonderful visual irony.
On a Windy Night by Nancy Raines Day, illus. by George Bates. Abrams, 2010.
Rhyming
LOVE and adore the illustrations! So much texture, yet simple, evocative. The story is on the scary side, and the pictures are so mesmerizing, they add to the fear. The clickity-clack noises end up being everyday objects, so all is well. A sensitive child might find this one too much. But a thrill-seeker will love it.
Queen of Halloween by Mary Engelbreit. HarperCollins, 2008.
I guess if you make your living creating cute little pictures with quaint sayings it's only a matter of time before you hit the picture book circuit. This isn't her debut book by any means, but she was artist first, author second. Which is, perhaps, why the story's moral is strong enough to knock you unconscious. The books is nostalgic, as in it has the heavy-handed bluntness of an era of picture book publishing long gone. The pictures are sweet, however. And the story itself is complete, cute, and, well, teaches something.
Ollie's Halloween by Olivier Dunrea. Houghton Mifflin, 2010.
Rhyming, sort of
Can you say CUTE? Ollie, the little gosling-costumed-as-mummy is precious beyond endurance. A sure winner for the 2-4 yr-old set. Ollie and the chicks gather treats all around the farm and scamper home to share the last pile of treats together. Sweet, simple and alliterative text. Cuddly illustrations.
Pumpkin Cat by Anne Mortimer. Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins), 2011.
Somewhat reminiscent of The Little Red Hen with the repetition of "So they did." But here the cat and mouse work together to plant pumpkins. Tender, but it seems a lot like one of those leveled readers - you know, the ones with the numbers 1-4 on them? This one would probably be a #2 (perfect for Pie or Fish!). I'll sneak it in one of their beds, where they do most of their reading. I expect both Pie and Fish will love it. Fish especially is a cat fanatic. I've promised him a kitty WITH CLAWS for Christmas, so poor velvet-pawed Ching can have a moment's peace. Dr. D thinks I don't mean it, but as the little Mouse in the story says, "Just watch."
By the Light of the Halloween Moon by Caroline Stutson, illus by Kevin Hawkes. Marshall Cavendish, 1993.
Rhyming
A cumulative tale, in rhyme, with cats and witches and ghouls and ghosts and sprites, oh my! The rhythm never falters and the turn at the end is cute. But the girl smacks the cute little sprite who was going to tickle her toe! Violence! Violence! Sound the alarms!
Uh, ok, pardon the sarcasm. I thought the book was adorable, with perfect illustrations. Just creepy enough to build tension, but not so creepy kiddos will dream of scary ghouls. Probably. And honestly, if one of my kids has a creature from the netherworld after his/her toes, I sure hope that critter gets a smack.
Boris and Bella by Carolyn Crimi, illus by Gris Grimley. Harcourt, 2004.
First thought: the illustrations creep me out. I love them, but they are sooo, I don't know, Lemony Snicket or something. The story is about the "messy" monster, Bella Legrossi (groan) and clean freak Boris Kleanitoff (double groan) who don't get along. They dance together at a halloween ball and fall in love. Sweet, fabulous details, funny, and awesomely-ewww illustrations. What's not to love?
Little Goblins Ten by Pamela Jane, illus by Jane Manning. Harper, 2011.
Rhyming, twisted classic
Over in the Meadow for Halloween. Cute, sweet illustrations, solid rhythm and rhyme, all your expected monsters, no real storyline to speak of, but there isn't one in the original
Over in the Meadow, so why should there be? A small part of me is wondering where the author read *my* manuscript, which I finished (likely about the time the illustrator was getting his final drawings approved) using the same poem as a basis. But had she, there would be a plot and a few more twists and turns.
13 Nights of Halloween by Guy Vasilovich. Harper, 2011.
twisted classic
12 Days of Christmas for Halloween. Wow, Harper is on the "remade classics" kick for 2011. This one I didn't read closely, largely because it's just halloween items replacing those in the classic Christmas song. Not a storyline of note, but the illustrations kick. No surprise the illustrator (also author) has a history with Nickelodeon, etc. Super art!
Oh, an aside: I had a little trouble finding the link on Amazon (for the image). Why? There are at least four other books with the same title and same concept! See? There's room for another "Over in the Meadow" rendition. Right?
Alice and Greta by Steven J. Simmons, illus by Cyd Moore. Talewinds (Charlesebridge), 1997.
Startlingly similar to Boris and Bella. Well, ok, not really. Same general idea: two witches see things differently. One uses fun spells (turning things to candy), and the other is more Halloweeny. And in this one, there's no falling in love at the end. Fun illustrations full of color, and strong kid-appeal with all the candy images. Made me hungry!
On that note, I'm out of books! Here are a handful more with a Halloween twist - ones I couldn't locate before exhaustion took over:
The Perfect Pumpkin Pie by Danys Cazet
Room on the Broom by Donaldson
In the Haunted House by Eve Bunting
Pumpkin Soup by Cooper
The Night Before Halloween by Wing
Skeleton Hiccups by Cuyler
Dem Bones by Bob Barner.
Moonlight the Halloween Cat by Cynthia Rylant
Pumpkin Cat by Ann Turner
Am I missing your favorite? Leave me a comment and I'll add it.
Feed by M.T. Anderson. Candlewick, 2004.
