I’ve spent my career as a publisher, editor, and writer of children’s books, having worked for or published with Macmillan, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Amazon, and other houses. Having written and edited a number of Halloween stories, I’m always on the lookout for new ones—and I also enjoy going back and reading the classics in this genre as well. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in a haunted house or because I’m the youngest of nine kids who celebrated Halloween in a big way. I retired from full-time work a few years ago and now devote my time to writing children’s books and consulting. We’ve just moved into a new house, and who knows? Maybe it’s haunted!
A little old lady is not afraid of anything, until--clomp, clomp, shake, shake, clap, clap—she hears eerie noises behind her while walking in the forest. Followed by a collection of bodiless clothes and a pumpkin head that want to scare her, she hurries home. But she’s not frightened when they return. Rather, she comes up with a great idea—why don’t they assemble themselves as a scarecrow who can scare crows away from her garden? Great onomatopoeia, repetition, suspense, a perfect ending, and lively illustrations. I’ve never read this book to a child who hasn’t begged me to read it again!
“A great purchase for Halloween or any time of year.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . clomp, clomp, shake, shake, clap, clap.
And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life! With bouncy refrains and classic art, this timeless Halloween story is perfect for reading aloud.
Two adorable mice enter a contest, one to carve the biggest jack-o’-lantern ever, the other to grow the biggest pumpkin ever. It turns out that they fall in love with the same pumpkin. One waters it during the day. The other waters it at night. Neither mouse knows about the other’s efforts. When they discover that they’re each contributing to the same pumpkin’s growth, they decide to work together to win the competition. This classic book with endearing illustrations will appeal to kids who love pumpkins and who value cooperative effort to achieve success.
Desmond and Clayton must work together to win the Biggest Pumpkin competition, in this popular bestselling picture book.
Once there were two mice who fell in love with the same pumpkin....Desmond the field mouse wants to carve the biggest jack-o'-lantern in the neighborhood with his pumpkin. Clayton the house mouse wants to win the Biggest Pumpkin contest with his. But when they discover that their choice pumpkins are actually the same one, Desmond and Clayton decide to work together to grow the biggest pumpkin ever!
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
A friendly witch picks up one new friend after another (for example, a hungry dragon and a muddy monster), refusing no one a ride on her broom. In a clever-but-not-scary ending, they repay her kindness. This book has a skillfully written rhyming text accompanied by witty, wonderful illustrations that will appeal to kids. Also, the fact the story isn’t as scary as some other Halloween books makes this book especially appropriate for ages 2-4.
How the cat purred and how the witch grinned, As they sat on their broomstick and flew through the wind.
A very funny story of quick wits and friendship, Room on the Broom is another smash hit from the unparalleled picture book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, creators of The Gruffalo.
The witch and her cat fly happily over forests, rivers and mountains on their broomstick until a stormy wind blows away the witch's hat, bow and wand. Luckily, they are retrieved by a dog, a bird and a frog, who are all keen for a ride on…
This interactive picture book provides a great way to scare away a frightening monster.
As kids turn the die-cut pages, they’ll see the features of Big Green Monster grow bigger and bigger, until his whole body is pictured, at which point there’s a caption that reads, “You don’t scare me.” In the remaining pages, the features and finally the monster disappears. I understand why children love this book. They are in charge when they stand up to the monster. “And don’t come back! Until I say so,” the text concludes. As in Where the Wild Things Are, the child takes control of his fears. An extra bonus is that the illustrations are bright, simple, and masterful by a Caldecott award winner.
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
Fabulous digital art showcases a zany story about a rabbit who is not afraid of underwear—until he sees his new pair of undies glowing a ghoulish green in his dark bedroom at night. They look creepy! How can he get rid of them? He tries various solutions, but nothing works until he buries the underwear in a hole. But now his room seems too dark. Does he miss the eerie green glow? How can he get it back? Not only does he dig up his undies, but he spends his allowance on more of the same. The art in this book is a brilliant contrast between dark and day-glo green. The plot is just wild enough to capture the imagination of children who like humorous stories, especially at Halloween.
From the celebrated team behind Creepy Carrots!, Aaron Reynolds and Caldecott Honor winner Peter Brown, comes a hilarious (and just a little creepy) story of a brave rabbit and a very weird pair of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit is NOT a little bunny anymore. He’s not afraid of the dark, and he’s definitely not afraid of something as silly as underwear. But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy. Jasper’s not scared obviously, he’s…
Bonaparte is a skeleton whose bones keep falling off. When he plays catch, his arm takes a flyer. Eating lunch is a real jaw-dropping experience. How can he start school when he worries others will make fun of him? His friends, Franky Stein, Blacky Widow, and Mummicula try to help him, but none of their ideas work. Then the perfect solution comes along when Bonaparte meets a pup that enthusiastically likes to retrieve bones.
