Best for younger readers who prefer thrills and chills with an occasional giggle.
This countdown romp begins with a front-cover portrait of 10 smiling and grimacing monsters before they set forth on their perilous adventure.
“Ten creepy monsters met ’neath a gnarled pine. / One [a ghost] blew away, and then there were nine.” So continues the predictable rhyme, with the various creatures meeting mostly unfortunate ends: The zombie loses his foot, the mummy snags his wrappings, and the vampire glances at the sunrise. Some do not perish but are only distracted; the werewolf cannot resist howling at a shocked full moon, and the sea monster, in one of the funnier (though incongruous) spreads, “found his love,” who is a startled woman in a bathing suit and cat’s-eye glasses near the shore. As the numbers dwindle, only a squat, goblin-green monster remains, until this “one creepy monster rushed home at a run.” The page turn reveals a green mask hanging from a bedpost, Halloween candy spilling out from a sack underneath the bed and a contented boy, who “pulled up his blanket, and then there were none.” Armstrong-Ellis injects just the right amount of humor into her portrayals of the ghoulish bunch, keeping the tone appropriately light, despite the body count.
Best for younger readers who prefer thrills and chills with an occasional giggle. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0433-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Enjoyable holiday fare for the littlest trick-or-treaters.
Does the box of Halloween costumes contain enough to clothe a passel of bears?
There’s a lot inside that carton: “hats, capes, and bats,” for example, and much more besides. And here come the four excited little bears, eager to comb through the contents to find the right trick-or-treat get-ups. At first, they find just what they want. Then, they simultaneously shout and pull at one another’s pickings as well, each desperately needing what another one has. The hubbub causes poor little Floppy to fall on her rear, so she tells Big Brown Bear she’ll wait until the others are done. Unfortunately, by the time everyone else has grabbed their stash, there’s nothing left in the box but a crumpled-up sash. Contrite, all the other bears willingly share their largesse with Floppy, turning her into the “holiday queen.” She leads the parade outdoors, all the bears dressed in their Halloween finest. This latest in Parenteau and Walker’s Bears on Chairs series is a sweet, brief rhyming tale for very young children that emphasizes kindness and sharing—a fine message for Halloween or any time. The lilting verses move smoothly and rhythmically and express a familiar scenario. The colorful, expressive illustrations are endearing; minimal text and lots of white space per page focus attention on the characters and goings-on.
Enjoyable holiday fare for the littlest trick-or-treaters. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: July 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0837-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
Appealing and interactive, kid-friendly spooky fun.
Readers are invited to help the Boo Crew save the Monster Ball on Halloween.
Luna, Bones, and Fang—respectively, a wispy, gray-tinged ghost; a skeleton in a top hat and scarf; and a brown-skinned vampire—are the Boo Crew, working to fix disasters, from a witch’s malfunctioning broom to some smashed pumpkins, in time for the Monster Ball. Each page asks readers to assist: There are switches to push, candles to blow out, and claps of encouragement to give. After readers lend a hand, helping all the spooky creatures and getting materials fixed and ready, the Monster Ball goes on as planned. The rhyming text and interactive requests make this a worthy lapsit read-aloud. The Boo Crew are darling and kid-friendly, as are all of the illustrations. There are lots of charming details—the witch’s ride is a high-tech gadget labeled the Vroom Broom 5000; Frankenstein's monster is the proprietor of a boutique called Frank’s Frocks. The big-eyed, sweet-faced creatures are adorable, not scary; a teeny-tiny frog tucked into an eye socket makes even a skull look cute. Like Hervé Tullet’s Press Here (2010), this one encourages readers to turn the book, press buttons, and applaud. These inclusions are popular for a reason: Kids love them. This title will be no exception. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Appealing and interactive, kid-friendly spooky fun. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781728264561
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
