THE MONSTER HOTEL

A crow takes readers on a tour of a monster-filled hotel in Mark Kibbe and Susan Kibbe's rhyming picture book.

On “Hallows of Eve,” a top hat– and bow tie–wearing crow named Old Carnie guides readers through the Monster Hotel, a decrepit old dwelling that may remind some readers of the Victorian home of TV's Addams family. Though the place is dark, filled with cobwebs and dust, and “smells like gym socks, it’s a coveted year-round destination for spooky guests, including monsters, trolls, mummies, and more. Although these creatures have a blast at the hotel, Old Carnie warns that human visitors should stay away, explaining that the Monster Hotel guests “have never seen children” before and would be frightened: “They would jump out of windows, and climb under chairs.” However, the crow muses that maybe, just maybe, on Halloween night: “If you dress like a monster and your costume is right, you can visit the Monster Hotel in disguise.” Children will enjoy following Old Carnie’s rhyming descriptions of the quirky happenings at an atmospheric place: “The doors are all broken; there are weeds for a lawn. The tree in the yard is all shriveled and black.” The spooky characters are more friendly than scary—even the skeletons smile—making the story suitable for young readers. Witherspoon's full-color illustrations offer cartoonish depictions of the Monster Hotel’s amusing scenes, such as the snoozing Vlad the vampire wearing an eye mask. The book also has goblins swimming in the hotel pool, trolls playing chess, and singing and dancing ghosts.

A fun and festive Halloween story.