Halloween is around the corner, but the following books can be enjoyed throughout the year. The first four books are board-books good for toddlers. The next three books are picture books best for ages three to eight. The rest of the books are fiction books geared for ages nine and up.
Squeaky Bat, by Maggie Fischer and brightly illustrated by Lucy Barnard, is a cute rhyming tale about a little bat who is excited and loves Halloween. This darling book has a soft plastic bat that is die-cut throughout the story and actually squeaks when pushed.
Peekaboo Pumpkin, by Camilla Reid and digitally illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius, is a cleverly designed board-book with slider mechanisms on every page as toddlers look for mice, a bat, a cat and more. By moving the slider, a Halloween item appears and so will smiles from all who read it.
It Sounds Like Halloween, by Maggie Fischer and wonderfully illustrated with much detail by Gareth Williams, is a fun book with the theme of trick-or-treating. But the most fun are the four interactive sound buttons that include the sounds of wolves howling and leaves rustling.
There was a Young Zombie Who Swallowed a Worm, by Kaye Baillie and vibrantly illustrated by Diane Ewen, is based on the traditional song There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly. This humorous story, about a zombie instead of an old lady, will be fun to sing and giggle about along the way.
The Pumpkin who was Afraid of the Dark, by Michelle Robinson and brightly illustrated by Mike Bryne, is an adorable tale about a cute little pumpkin who doesn’t like the noise and costumes and people running everywhere. He especially doesn’t like Halloween until he meets a youngster who also doesn’t like Halloween. The rhyming throughout makes for a perfectly fun read-aloud.
Popcorn, by Frank Asch, is a fun story about a Halloween party bear named Sam, who hosts a gathering at his house after his parents leave for their Halloween party. The humor begins when each of Sam’s friends bring a bag of unpopped popcorn. This delightful story was first published in 1979 and has recently been republished. It is sure to bring smiles to all.
Rainbow Magic Special Edition: Trixie The Halloween Fairy, by Daisy Meadows and illustrated with black and white etchings by Georgie Ripper, is an enthralling early chapter book that will have your young reader turning pages all the way to the end. Jack Frost has taken Trixie’s magical candies and now they must be recovered.
The Skull, by Jon Klassen, is written like an early chapter book with Klassen’s award winning trademark illustrations. However, this story is not for the young readers as the plot has somewhat of a macabre theme. The original story was derived from an old Tyrolean folktale. Klassen changed the ending of that folktale making it more mysterious and foreboding. The outstanding artwork is a blend of gray and black mixed in a monochromatic color.
The Bellwood Game, by Celia Krampien, is a spooky story that has Bailee finally reaching the 6th grade age and is allowed to play the Bellwoods Game on Halloween night. Three kids are chosen to play the game and Bailee hopes to win the game and receive a wish. She already knows what her wish will be, but she must accomplish difficult challenges first. There are also some wonderful illustrations sprinkled throughout.
The Chaos Monster (Secrets of the Sky #1), by Sayantani Dasgupta, begins when ten-year-old Kinjal finds that his beloved dog has suddenly disappeared right in front of him! When two very strong looking flying horses suddenly stand before him and convince him and his twin sister to come with them to a secret kingdom in the sky, the adventure truly begins! Here is a terrific adventure that is the first book in a planned series.
